I am making an argument for the practice kindness. It seems counterintuitive to have to make an argument for kindness, but what the heck, I’m doing it anyway. Does arguing have any place in a discussion about kindness you might ask? I say look around you. Kindness is often in short supply and so appreciated when it makes an appearance. So how do we talk about something that seems so fundamental, so seemingly obvious? How about fallaciously? Fallacies are fun. I enjoy looking at different ways we offer lame arguments and fallacies are number one in that department as far as I’m concerned. There are so many fallacious ways we humans try to sabotage discussion that they have been given names. I won't get very far, but I'll start at the letter A. So, let’s make a fallacious argument for kindness.
Ad Hominem – Ad Hominem is a Latin phrase meaning ”against the man”. Ad Hominem shows itself as a personal attack that sidetracks a persuasive argument. It is a favorite among siblings and co-workers. Take the following example:
1. I am making an argument for the practice of kindness.
2. You are an idiot, and as such anything you say is pointless.
3. Therefore your point about kindness is wrong.
In reality, even an idiot can make a valid point every so often and in this instance, the argument is being sidestepped by the Ad Hominem fallacy. Idiocy has nothing to do with kindness, although certainly idiots can be kind, so too can evildoers be idiots. Neither have anything to do with my argument.
Ad Hominem Tu Quoque – This is again “against the man” but with “because you are inconsistent or your argument is inconsistent with your actions” thrown in for good measure. For example I say:
1. I am making an argument for the practice of kindness.
2. You respond by saying, Last month you said you wanted to punish all bad drivers by flinging rotten eggs at their cars. That isn’t very consistent with kindness.
3. Therefore, your point about kindness is wrong.
Certainly, we as human beings are inconsistent by nature. With this in mind, I can say that more than anything I strive to be a consistent parent. By this example I mean consistency is a goal and one worth pursuing. However, because I may have tried to rally the troupes to fling eggs, this has nothing to do with a valid point, and that point is this: kindness is important and we should value and practice it.
Appeal to Authority – This is a personal favorite. Most have had this fallacy used by their parents and teachers. This is a fallacy that denotes an arguments’ support in the authority of the argument maker. Think of “because I said so” or “because I am your mother therefore what I say goes” and you have the general idea of Appeal to Authority. Here’s an example:
1. I say, I am making an argument for the practice of kindness.
2. Next I say, I am an authority on kindness therefore I know what I’m talking about.
3. I summarize by stating, therefore you should believe what I say without question.
You should be asking, but where is the support honey? Why should I believe you just because you say you are an authority? What do you know about it anyway? Where are your kindness credentials? Give me some facts, man.
Appeal to Belief – Oh, this is a good one. This is a fallacy grounded in the group rather than the individual. It is something that many people believe and so should you also. Think your parent’s religion or lack thereof. For example:
1. I say, I am making an argument for the value of kindness.
2. Most people believe that kindness is good and important.
3. Therefore you should also believe kindness is important too. Come on, that’s what everyone else thinks.
I could start a religion. I’ll call it “The Religion of Kindness”. I’ll open Kindness Centers. I’ll recruit celebrities and sports figures. I’ll tweet and virally spread the gospel of kindness. So many people will buy into my crap that I won’t have to come up with any valid reasons for kindness. It will be like a middle school power drive. You will be sucked in because so many others are. But I know you know that just because a celebrity says it’s so, or lots of celebrity say it’s so, or every 7th grade girl in New Jersey says it so, that don’t make it so.
Appeal to Emotion – This is “Appeal to Beliefs” dirty cousin. This one goes straight for your emotions. Think advertising. Think images of happiness that have nothing to do with the product being shown, such as a group of ridiculously happy people at a party and a soda is on the table in front of a particularly beautiful woman with her hair gently blowing behind her. In our discussion of kindness, this example shows emotional manipulation of the argument.
1. I am making an argument for the value of kindness.
2. Kindness has made me happy, desirable, emotionally stable and filthy rich.
3. Therefore you should adopt an argument for kindness as well.
Kindness is a state of mind, a state of being. A kind environment may produce positive benefits, but someone else’s perceived happiness or professed wealth has nothing to do with the argument. They exist outside of the argument as a juicy carrot dangling there to distract you away from thought. Don’t bite that carrot.
Appeal to Fear – Another all time favorite, and not just of mine, but of many of the Christians I have known is Appeal to Fear. I am not picking on Christians. I just grew up with them and they are my religious group of experience so to say. This fallacy tries to merit persuasion by the use of fear. I had a boyfriend once who tried to convince me that Jews didn’t believe in heaven and are good for goods sake. “Then why are people good”, I asked, honestly stumped, "if there is no threat of hell?". I told him many Christians are good because they fear hell. They believe in God because if they don’t, they will face eternal damnation, which is supposed to hurt really bad. He couldn’t believe I could say such a thing. He had obviously never been around many Christians. Here is an example that relates to kindness:
1. I am making an argument for the practice of kindness.
2. If you are not kind, no one will like you.
3. Therefore you will be miserable so you have to agree that kindness is important.
It seems really silly, I know, but I swear, this one makes the world go round. The great deterrent of society, think of jail. Isn’t that an appeal to fear. And a darn good one!
Appeal to Flattery – Oh, the appeals just keep on coming, don’t they! You know appeal to flattery. I think of this as malarkey, charm, B.S. A has nothing to do with B, but A, you look fabulous today! For example:
1. I am making an argument for the practice of kindness.
2. My gosh, have you been working out? You look incredible!
3. End of story
If you are reading this, you are obviously smart and considerate and already understand the merits of my argument. So I don’t have to make one.
Appeal to Pity – Feel sorry for A and as such go along with whatever A says, regardless if it has anything to do with anything. This can be thought of as the classic homework argument. The dog ate my homework, therefore I deserve credit for the work. For example:
1. I am making an argument for the practice of kindness.
2. I was struck by lightning a half an hour ago.
3. Therefore you should agree with me because I am addled, I am having difficulty hearing you and all of my body hair has been singed off.
You feel sorry for me don’t you. So just suck it up and buy my line of crap already.
Appeal to Tradition – This should be obvious and it is. Tradition dictates that something is true, and therefore it is. Sing “TRADITION” as if you playing Tevye in a dinner theatre rendition of “Fiddler on the Roof” as you think about this one. For example:
1. I am making an argument for the practice of kindness.
2. Traditionally, kindness has been held as an ideal in all civilized society.
3. Therefore everyone should be kind.
This argument may or may not be true. Think of slavery. It was practiced for a long time and as such accepted at some level by some people. But does any rational person really think it is OK because at one time it was generally held as a reasonable institution? Duh.
Bandwagon – Finally, a letter other than A. I like that fallacies have a name like bandwagon as in “join in, everybody is doing it”. "Come on, have a cigarette, everyone smokes them." Again, this is a common theme in advertising and middle school. When you think of kindness, think of all your friends and your friend’s friends and even your enemies. For example:
1. I am making an argument for the practice of kindness.
2. The rest of the kids in Ms. Valentine’s class are making an argument for the practice of kindness. They all say they will be kind to everyone.
3. Therefore you should make an argument for kindness too.
Just because Johnny is going to jump off the kind bridge, are you?
Begging the Question – Wow, we really have left the As. This is also referred to as Circular Reasoning. The conclusion is present in the premise hence the dog chasing it’s tail kind of argument. This is one big circle going round and round. For example:
1. I am making an argument for the practice of kindness.
2. I think therefore I am kind.
3. Therefore you should be kind too.
This is really a riff on Descartes famous argument for the existence of God. He is really the king of Begging the Question in my book. I think therefore I am. I know God exists because I have the idea of God, blah, blah, blah. Kindness is valuable because I have the idea that the practice of kindness is important. This goes on and on and maybe I am not making myself clear. Maybe I am, but I will confuse you with my circular reasoning and you’ll forget the point.
I have really not made any arguments for kindness, rather I have talked about fallacies and used kindness as a theme. I have plagiarized horribly from a few websites because I am lazy. That aside, I do have some decent reasons for the practice of kindness and I tell you this; like consistency as a parent, I strive for practicing kindness in my daily life. I appreciate when others show me kindness, particularly those I am closest too. And I would appreciate you thinking about the ways kindness makes you feel good and happy, and how the absence of it makes you angry or uncaring.
Here are my reasons for practicing kindness
Kindness is infectious. It is like a good disease.
Kindness makes you feel good.
Kindness doesn’t make your blood pressure rise like aggression does, unless of course someone is masking aggression with a kind face, which is not kindness, just jackassery (my new word, you can use it too).
If I am consciously being kind, I am not likely to try to kill someone.
Being kind shows an example to others and they in turn learn the value of kindness.
An atmosphere of kindness is inclusive, not exclusive.
Kindness is empathetic. People that don’t learn empathy are sociopaths.
Because this is a blog, and not say, a term paper, I really haven’t sourced my documentation properly. I could be accused of plagiarism. I borrowed heavily from the following websites. Fallacies are fun. Check these out:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/
http://www.goodart.org/fallazoo.htm
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