Does the Art of Rhetoric Shape Who We Are?

"Who we are, who we wish to be, and the amount of control we have over either of these two matters depends significantly on our rhetorical skill" (pg.33) Ramage makes this bold statement early on in section two. He goes on to describe the three different types of identity: given, readymade and constructed. What I found really interesting is that Ramage said that what makes us different from other other living things is that we have a constructed identity. He made the point that although his dog has been born with certain characteristics (given identity) , without the ability to use language and rhetoric, "P-Dog" cannot have the full identity that humans have. I agree with this statement and think that most people overlook the fact that the phrases we use and hear help to shape our culture and personal identity.
Ramage also stated that an "essence" on what makes an object the way it is. Whereas the "gist" of an object is a phrase or summary of what we "make" or interpret of something. A gist is an important aspect of rhetoric because a person must carefully choose what words and phrases they use when relaying information because this will determine how the receiver interprets the information.
Overall Ramage made clear that the way we interpret ourselves and the world around us has a great deal to do with the language we use. Once again, although I think metaphors and anecdotes distinguish this text from other text books, he jam packs a lot together, to the point where it is confusing and repetitive.