Beyond Feelings
Beyond Feelings
Beyond Feelings
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148 PART TWO The Pitfalls<br />
Arguing in a circle<br />
Meaningless statement<br />
Mistaken authority<br />
False analogy<br />
Irrational appeal<br />
error, monitor what you say and<br />
write. The moment you detect<br />
any inconsistency, examine it<br />
carefully. Decide whether it is<br />
explainable or whether it constitutes<br />
a contradiction. If it is a<br />
contradiction, revise your statement<br />
to make it consistent and<br />
reasonable.<br />
Attempting to prove a statement<br />
by repeating it in a different<br />
form. To avoid this error,<br />
check your arguments to be<br />
sure you are offering genuine<br />
evidence and not merely repeating<br />
your claim.<br />
A statement in which the reasoning<br />
presented makes no<br />
sense. To avoid this error, check<br />
to be sure that the reasons you<br />
offer to explain your thoughts<br />
and actions really do explain<br />
them.<br />
Ascribing authority to someone<br />
who does not possess it. To<br />
avoid this error, check to be sure<br />
that all the sources you cite as<br />
authorities possess expertise<br />
in the particular subject you are<br />
writing or speaking about.<br />
An analogy is an attempt to<br />
explain something relatively<br />
unfamiliar by referring to something<br />
different but more familiar,<br />
saying, in effect, “This is like<br />
that.” A false analogy claims<br />
similarities that do not withstand<br />
scrutiny. To avoid this<br />
error, test your analogies to be<br />
sure that the similarities they<br />
claim are real and reasonable<br />
and that no important dissimilarities<br />
exist.<br />
Appeals to emotion, tradition,<br />
moderation, authority, common<br />
belief, and tolerance may be<br />
either rational or irrational.