If somebody just flat-out makes a false inference (I see this most often in journalism) my thought is “Ha, ha! I could do your job better than you!” It’s outrage, but it’s kind of a pleasant outrage. Yes, it’s uncharitable of me to say so, but I’m sure I’m not alone.
What makes me literally uncomfortable is when I see pages and pages that pretend to be an argument but don’t seem to be moving towards any point. Teilhard de Chardin, for example. Or a really crappy school essay where the student didn’t bother to make and defend an argument, but just sort of rambles. That’s disorienting and unpleasant to read—maybe like having a fever or dizziness.
The first kind of “bad logic” is something I could step in and fix; it attracts my eager editor’s impulse. The second kind of “bad logic” gives me a kind of sick, “oh, shit, this is unsalvageable” feeling.
My response varies.
If somebody just flat-out makes a false inference (I see this most often in journalism) my thought is “Ha, ha! I could do your job better than you!” It’s outrage, but it’s kind of a pleasant outrage. Yes, it’s uncharitable of me to say so, but I’m sure I’m not alone.
What makes me literally uncomfortable is when I see pages and pages that pretend to be an argument but don’t seem to be moving towards any point. Teilhard de Chardin, for example. Or a really crappy school essay where the student didn’t bother to make and defend an argument, but just sort of rambles. That’s disorienting and unpleasant to read—maybe like having a fever or dizziness.
The first kind of “bad logic” is something I could step in and fix; it attracts my eager editor’s impulse. The second kind of “bad logic” gives me a kind of sick, “oh, shit, this is unsalvageable” feeling.