Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Week 5 Question 2
Facts and statistics are a great way to add color to any speech. They are well received at the beginning of a speech where there is an impact. They have to be facts that are scary or will capture attention. Adding too many can be tiresome. No one wants to listen to even a five minute speech from someone that is simply reading off facts. The statistics have to be true and believable to a point. Some speakers even go so far as to manipulate their facts. They say them differently or leave out others that would otherwise change their point. Facts and statistics also speak to the logical side of our brains. When we hear them we automatically try to make sense of them. They can be very helpful in proving a point. They make any speech more meaningful, more objective in a way. We hear 'facts' and think that they are true. No questions asked.
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It is true that some speakers manipulate their facts, but is it that bad? Don't we all "rearrange" facts when we are trying to prove a point? In my argumentation class, every time we give a speech we are required to include both sides, the truth is that I've noticed that I could easily argue either side just by moving facts here and there. Speeches are all about perception, there is not right or wrong only perspectives. I think you are completely right when you said that when we hear the word fact we immediately assume that what we are being told is true. I think we need to get better at double checking instead of taking everything for certain.
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