THE RECKLESS WRITER

We all have to navigate the complexities of an unjust and uncertain world. Words are capable of capturing truth, but malicious rhetoric can also be fabricated with the ultimate goal of leading the public astray. When you work with words long enough, you become familiar with the malicious slight-of-hand that can be utilized to create the illusion of a rational sounding argument.

These tangles are both convincing and dangerous. Countering such arguments often proves to be a challenge.

Sentences can be manipulated in the same fashion as statistics. Concepts can be simplified or misrepresented in a way that dulls the hard edges of fact. If you line up a sequence of tampered ideas, it’s possible to create an inviting pathway to nowhere.

We often say that the devil is in the details. The trickery involved in manipulating people comes through disguising deceit in a way that appears innocuous at first blush. A skilled manipulator is quick to turn a crowd against anyone who protests over what they frame as a triviality.

But the difference between right and wrong is never trivial. Anyone with a platform must always be mindful of what they assume without question because a sequence of poorly conceived notions can trick you into becoming the author of your own demise.

Falsifying evidence for a widely believed lie

Once your audience has seized onto the illusion of an argument, they often refuse to be displaced no matter how delicately you demonstrate the inherent contradictions of their position.

For example, people are inclined to assume wrongdoing among all groups of people. A homogeneous impression of the inherent weaknesses of human nature is frequently applied universally without any consideration for culture, race, gender, or other contributing factors.

It’s challenging to combat the argument that “Human beings are inclined to evil.” The statement is absurdly…