Reflecting on the lack of Childhood Chiasmus'

In the first chapter of Thank you for Arguing the author attempts to make the reader aware of what the book is about, and the importance of its content.  The second chapter offers a correction to a common fallacy and provides the reader with a distinction between a fight and an argument.  This last point really made me reflect.  Although I have never consciously, fought when trying to argue, I have acted in ways that attempt to “score points” rather than win the argument.

When my brother and I were little, I would constantly try to get him to pay attention to me instead of his toys or the Play Station.  I really liked playing outdoor sports, and I needed him to do that.  He liked playing GTA, and of course didn’t need me to do that.  Instead of attempting, to persuade him (obviously I didn’t break it down into three steps like Cicero) I would punch him or turn off the TV so that he couldn’t play.  Now, this always produced the same to effects. First, he would hit me back harder and tell me that I was a terrible person.  Second, he would stop trying to play GTA, go to his room, and promise me that he would never ever play soccer in the yard.  Heinrichs, the author, would probably suggest a chiasmus in this scenario.  A “crisscross” figure like the famous JFK one would have made my brother want to “enlist” instead of “protest.”

Ideal Dialogue:

Me: Hey Bro, want to go play soccer?

Him: No, I’m playing GTA.

Me: Play not what you want to play now, but what you know will make you more likeable.

Him: Great point! Grab the ball and we’ll go play…

Please forgive my limited screenplay writing abilities and my extremely weird chiasmus— I’m new at this.  Despite my shortcomings in attempting to get him to play soccer with me, I struggled in getting to find a way to be nice when he said no.  Obviously, unplugging the TV in the middle of a five-star police chase wasn’t going to get him to be nice.  I realize now that I should’ve been more open to the idea of stimulating his emotions, rather than getting him to act.