Analogy

An analogy may be the most concise and graphic way to get a complex idea or a point across. In a discussion of the increasing arrests of young people on drug charges, one student commented: "Relaxing the law would indeed reduce the number of arrests, but it would be like loosening your tie to relieve sweating. It is only a temporary measure that does nothing to eliminate the problem causing the arrests." As it stands, this analogy effectively conveyed the student's position. Suppose, however, that she had gone on to argue that laws, like ties and other articles of clothing, are unnatural constraints that should be discarded. She would then have been on very shaky ground.

An analogy draws parallels between two things or situations, but as we have observed, it is a partial comparison and at some point it breaks down. If the objects of comparison are dissimilar enough to invalidate the attempt to juxtapose them, the analogy is a poor one. In listening critically we must first determine the appropriateness of the speaker's analogy to the subject at hand and then the limits of its use. For example, in one debate a speaker compared a government policy to putting a new muffler on a defective car. "It only makes the car sound better," he commented. 'It doesn't solve the problem." His opponent, responding to what he felt was a poor analogy, commented, "Without the new muffler, the car's occupants would be asphyxiated in a matter of minutes. So the new policy is needed immediately."

The test for the critical listener is to determine how accurate or reasonable the comparison is. Analogies are metaphorical ways of explaining ideas, and at some point the analogy eventually breaks down. In other words, the situations usually involve some differences that are important enough to invalidate the comparison being made. It is important to note, however, that analogies may be a very useful and legitimate method to bring about understanding of an idea.

Listeners often recall the examples or analogies used by the speaker and miss the point the speaker intends to illustrate. In analyzing all materials of support, it is critical first to identify the speaker's point and then to evaluate the method of support used to prove it. Remember that materials of support do not in themselves constitute an argument.

Example

The second method of supporting an idea is using an example. We have used examples throughout this book to illustrate many of the concepts we are trying to convey. Examples may be very brief specific instances, or they may be quite extended. Examples usually make meaning much clearer for the listener. However, ^examples, like analogies, can be misused. The critical listener will try to determine if the example being used is actually representative of the point that the communicator is trying to make. In a propaganda device called the hasty generalization, one or two examples are cited to prove a point. When using this propaganda device, the speaker jumps to a conclusion on the basis of very limited evidence. It is the receiver who must decide, first, whether an example is appro­priate to a speaker's point and, second, whether it is being used in lieu of an argument. Consider this example from a student discussion: "My grandparents have lots of money so I don't think old people need Medicare benefits." Most of us tend to generalize from our own personal experiences (or lifelong sets of examples). However, those experiences are often misleading. Examples can be used or abused; the critical listener must make subjective judgments to detect the difference.