An **"I was once like you..."** story or anecdote is an [[ethos]]-related [[rhetorical move]] in which you [[a speaker tunes themselves to their audience|tune yourself]] to your [[audience]] by establishing your similarity to them—right before you then part ways in some way. You're effectively saying this: > I was *once* just like you — we're on the same page! —but *then* I discovered... ^c8d7cb This move is often a form of [[if you have a very bold claim, you should address the refutatio early on|addressing a refutatio early on if you have a bold claim]]. (For example, on that addressing a refutatio early on page, see [[if you have a very bold claim, you should address the refutatio early on#Example Thomas the Tank Engine is actually a premodern corporate-totalitarian dystopia|my discussion]] of Jia Tolentino's [[Tolentino 2017 - Repressive Authoritarian Soul of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends|article]] about Thomas the Tank Engine.) Note that an "I was once like you..." story does *not* have to be explicit. You don't have to literally say, "I was once like you." Like many things related to ethos, you perform it. #### Example: Upside of Stress The [[exordium]] of [[Kelly McGonigal]]'s book, [[The Upside of Stress (2015)]], uses this move. This is how the introduction to her book starts: > IF YOU HAD to sum up how you feel about stress, which statement would be more accurate? > > A) Stress is harmful and should be avoided, reduced, and managed. > > B) Stress is helpful and should be accepted, utilized, and embraced. > > ==Five years ago, I would have chosen A without a moment’s hesitation.== I’m a health psychologist, and through all my training in psychology and medicine, I got one message loud and clear: Stress is toxic. You can guess where it's going next: "Five years ago I *would have* chosen A without a moment's hesitation... **_but then..._**" McGonigal is aware that her readers will be somewhat resistant to her message.[^somewhat] The idea that stress is good for you sounds absurd. It's a bold claim so she needs to [[if you have a very bold claim, you should address the refutatio early on|address that early on]], so she's using an "I was once like you..." anecdote. She's performing the fact that she realizes this is a bold claim. She's just like you, the reader! (But then she looked into it, and well, gosh...) [^somewhat]: But not *that* resistant. They bought her book, after all.