Foss

Foss define rhetoric as a symbol. But it depends on how u use it in a sentence. For example Foss wrote '' A symbol, by contrast, is a human construction connected only indirectly to its referent. The word cup, for example, has no natural relationship to an open container for beverages. It is a symbol invented by someone who wanted to refer to this kind of object. A cup could have been labeled a fish, for example, and the selection of the world cup to refer to a particular kind of container is arbitrary.'' (page 4.)
A rhetoric describe object but we humans often use it in different ways. Sometime we use rhetoric and its used as a signs not a symbol. '' A tree standing in a forest is not a symbol. It does not stand for something else; it simply is a tree. The tree could become a symbol, however if it is use by someone to communicate an idea. It could be use in environmental advocacy efforts as a symbol of Jesus's birth when it is cut for use as a Christmas tree. Humans use all sorts of non rhetorical ways, turning them into symbols in the process.''(Foss, page 5.)
'' Reality is not fixed but changes according to the symbols we use to talk about it. What we choose to label and talk about things.... Is someone an alcoholic or morally depraved? Is a child misbehaved or suffering from ADD? Is a unexpected situation a struggle or a adventure? Is a coworker's behavior irritating or eccentric? The choices we make in terms of how to approach these situations are critical in determining the nature and outcome of the experiences we have regarding them.''(Foss,page 6.). when we use the word bird we don't think of a penguin because they cannot fly.
Rhetoric is the art of speaking or writing effectively: as a : the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times b : the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion
2 a : skill in the effective use of speech b : a type or mode of language or speech; also : insincere or grandiloquent language .