Time once again for us martial arts bloggers to learn:
1) How NOT to make a case for or against someone or something
2) Why certain comments set our teeth on edge
3) How to stay focused when discussing our arts
One morning, Jim answers his door to find an oddly dressed stranger standing on his front porch…
Cultist: Master Trik-Kee Woo is a master of all martial arts, therefore he is your master. You must bake cookies for him, do his laundry, mow his lawn, and wash his car.
Jim: WHAT?!? I don’t have to be a slave to that shyster. Now get off my property before I call the cops. Didn’t you see the “No trespassing” sign?!? Beat it!
Cultist: OK! You asked for it! [The Cultist punches Jim’s “No trespassing” sign repeatedly] OW! OW! OW!
Jim: Weirdo.
The cultist changes the meaning of the word “master” mid-argument. The cultist thinks he’s being clever. He’s hoping to trap Jim with what he thinks is brilliant logic, but Jim isn’t stupid. Note that a better use of equivocation is for humor. As the author of this little dialogue, I used an equivocation of the phrase, “Beat it!”
If you’d like to learn more, you can follow along in the book The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn
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OSU! You write very funny dialogue, Jo! Thanks for the smile. 🙂
Ossu! [bow]
Thanks! People tend to remember lessons when an element of fun is thrown in 🙂
[bow]