Intention

The main intention of Guy Winch’s TED Talk “How to fix a broken heart” as expressed in the title of his talk is to provide the audience with practical advice they can use to overcome heartbreak. Winch’s secondary intention is to inform the audience on the science behind heartbreak and why people have such a hard time overcoming it

When it comes to informing his audience, Winch mainly relies on logos. He presents studies and statistics that highlight the science behind why heartbreak is so hard to overcome, such as when he explains that “Brain studies have shown that the withdrawal of romantic love activates the same mechanisms in our brain that get activated when addicts are withdrawing from substances like cocaine or opioids”. He complements this through his appeals to pathos such as when he presents the personal stories of two of his patients’ experience with heartbreak. In this way, he also aims to stir sympathy in his audience. Winch also tries to create a be...