Free Essay

About Talk

In:

Submitted By shaiyueliang
Words 992
Pages 4
* 当你与别人讨论,尝试获得答案或解释时,你可能会遇到一些人犯上逻辑谬误。这样的讨论是无意义的。你可能尝试向对手要求证据或提供其他假设,令你获得更好或更简单的解释。如果都失败,可以尝试指出你讨论对手的问题。你可辨认他的逻辑问题以免深究,以及可告知讨论对手关於他的谬误。以下是简单介绍其中最常见的谬误:

人身攻击(ad hominem) o 拉丁语「向着人」的意思。辩者用人身攻击来攻击对手,而不是在讨论议题。当辩者不能用证据、事实或理由去维护他的立场,他可能透过标签、稻草人、骂人、挑衅及愤怒的人身攻击方式来攻击对手。

诉诸无知(appeal to ignorance / argumentum ex silentio) o 以诉诸无知作为某些证据。(例如:我们没有证据说神不存在,所以祂一定存在。又例如:由於我们没有关於外星人的知识,这表示他们并不存在。)对某些东西的无知,是与它的存在与否无关。

全知论据(argument from omniscience) o (例如:所有人都相信某些东西,每个人都知道的。) 辩者需要有全知能力以清楚每个人的信仰、怀疑或他们的知识。小心如「所有」、「每个人」、「每种东西」、「绝对」等词语。

诉诸信心(appeal to faith)
(例如:如果你不相信,是不能清楚明白的。)如果辩者倚仗信心作为他论据的根基,那麽你在以後的讨论所能得到的将不多。根据定义,「信心」是倚靠相信,并非靠逻辑或证据支持。信心倚赖非理性的思想,并会产生不妥协。

诉诸传统(appeal to tradition)
(类似主流思想谬误)(例如:占星、宗教、奴隶)只因为人们以此为传统,与它本身的存活能力无关。

诉诸权威(argument from authority / argumentum ad verecundiam)
* 以「专家」或权威的说话作论据的根基,而不是用逻辑或证据来支持该论据。(例如:某某教授相信创造科学。)只由於某个权威的声称,不足以代表他已令这声称正确。假如辩者展示某专家的论据,那麽看看它有否伴随着原因,以及它背後证据的来源。

不良後果论据(argument from adverse consequences)
* (例如:我们应判被告有罪,否则其他人会仿效而犯上类似的罪行。)只因为讨厌的罪行或行为出现,并不足以代表被告犯了该罪,或代表我们应判他有罪。(又例如:灾难的出现是因为神惩罚不信者,所以我们都应该信神。)只因灾害或惨剧发生,与神是否存在、或我们该信甚麽并无关系。

恐吓论据(argumentum ad baculum)
* 论据根基於恐惧或威胁。(例如:如果你不信神,你将会下地狱被火烧。)

无知论据(argumentum ad ignorantiam)
* 误导性的论据,倚仗於人们的无知。

群众论据(argumentum ad populum)
* 论据诉诸感性的弱点,而非事实和原因,旨在煽动群众的支持。

主流思想谬误(bandwagon fallacy)
* 只因为很多人相信或实践,便认为一个思想有价值。(例如:大多数人相信神,所以它一定是真的。)只因为很多人相信某些东西,与那是事实与否并无关系。如很多人在黑死病时期都相信疫症是由於魔鬼引起,有多少人相信跟疫症的起因全无关系。

窃取论点(begging the question)
(例如:我们必须鼓励年青人去崇拜神,以灌输道德行为。)可是宗教与崇拜真的产生道德行为吗?

循环论证(circular reasoning)
* 陈述某命题,而其实那正是需要被证实的。(例如:神存在是因为圣经有记载,圣经存在是因为神所默示的。)

构成谬误(composition fallacy)
* 当某论据的结论,是倚靠由某东西从部份至整体、或从整体至部份的错误特性。(例如:人类有意识,而人体和人脑都是由原子组成,所以原子都有意识。又例如:文书处理软件由佷多原位组(byte)组成,所以一个原位组是组成文书处理软件的一部份。)

确认性偏见(confirmation bias)
(类似监视下的选择)这是指一种选择性的思想,集中於支持相信的人已相信的证据,而忽略反驳他们信念的证据。确认性偏见常见於人们以信心、传统及成见为根据的信念。例如,如果有些人相信祈祷的力量,相信的人只会注意到少量「有回应」的祈祷,而忽略大多数无回应的祈祷。(这表示祈祷的价值最差只是随机,最好也只有心理上的安慰作用。)

混淆相关及起因(confusion of correlation and causation)
* (例如:玩象棋的人男性比女性多,所以男性棋艺也比女性高。又例如:儿童观看电视的暴力场面,成长後会有暴力倾向。)但是,那是由於电视节目引致暴力,还是有暴力倾向的儿童喜欢观看暴力节目?真正引致暴力的原因可能是完全与电视无关。Stephen Jay Gould 把相关引致的无效假设称为「可能是人类推理上两三种最严重和最普遍的错误」。

错误二分法/排中(excluded middle / false dichotomy)
* 只考虑极端。很多人用亚理士多德式(Aristotelian)的「非此即彼」的逻辑去解释上下、黑白、对错、爱恶等。(例如:你若非喜欢它,就是不喜欢它。他如不是有罪,就是无罪。)很多时人们没有看到在两个极端之间出现的连续,这个宇宙也包含很多「可能」的。

隐藏证据(half truths / suppressed evidence)
* 故意欺骗的陈述,通常隐藏一些事实,而那是构成准确描述所必需的。

暗示/诱导性问题(loaded questions)
* 问题加入假设,一旦回答便显示了一个暗示性的同意。(例如:你停止了打你的妻子吗?)

无意义的问题(meaningless question)
* (例如「上面有多高?」「一切皆可能吗?」)「上面」描述方向,不是可衡量的单位。假如一切都证实可能,那麽「不可能」都可能出现,矛盾便出现。尽管一切不一定证实可能,亦可以有无数的可能和无数的不可能。很多无意思的问题都包含了空废的词语,如 "is," "are," "were," "was," "am," "be," 或 "been."

统计性质的误解(misunderstanding the nature of statistics)
* (例如:大多数美国人都死在医院内,所以应尽量远离医院。)「统计显示,通常染上进食习惯的人,很少能生存。」-- Wallace Irwin

不当结论(non sequitur)
* 拉丁语「它没有跟随」的意思。推断或结论没有跟随已建立的前提或证据。(例如:在月圆时出生的人较多。结论:月圆引致出生率上升。)可是,是月圆引致较多出生,还是由於其他原因(可能是统计上的期望差异)?

监视下的选择(observational selection)
* (类似确认性偏见)指出有利的,却忽略不利的事实。谁去过拉斯维加斯(Las Vegas)赌场会见到人们在赌桌上和老虎机上赢钱,赌场经理会响钟及鸣笛以公告胜利者,却永不会提及失败者。这可令人觉得胜出的机会看来颇大,但是事实却刚刚相反。

错误因果(post hoc, ergo propter hoc)
* 拉丁语「它发生在之後,所以它是结果。」与不当结论类似,不过与时间有关。(例如:她去了中国之後病了,所以中国有些东西令到她病。)可能她的病是由於其他原因,与中国完全无关。

证明不存在(proving non-existence)
* 当辩者无法为他的声称提供证据,他可能会挑战他的对手,叫对手证明他的声称不存在。(例如:证明神不存在;证明不明飞行物体未曾到过地球;等等)尽管有人可以在特定的限制中证明不存在,如在盒中没有某些东西,可是却无法证明普遍性、绝对性或认知性的不存在。无人能证明一些不存在的东西。提出声称的人必需自己证明那声称的存在。

扯开话题(red herring)
* 辩者改变话题,以分散注意力。

实体化谬误(reification fallacy)
* 当人们把抽象的信念或假设性的构想,当作是实在的事物。如以IQ题作为真实衡量智慧的方法;由抽象的社会构想而来的种族概念(尽管基因属性的存在),源自经拣选的属性组合,或者标签某一组人;占星;耶稣;圣诞老人;等等。

滑坡谬误(slippery slope)
* 一个步骤、法律、或行动的改变,可引致不良的後果。(例如:如果我们容许医生帮助安乐死,那麽去到最後,政府会控制我们如何死。)不一定只因为我们的改变,出现了滑坡,便会使预计的後果实现。

片面辩护(special pleading)
* 以新鲜或特别的声称,抗衡对手的陈述;展示论据时只着重主题中有利或单一的范畴。(例如:神为何在世上创造这麽多苦难?答案是:你必须明白,神自有祂神奇的安排,我们没有特权去知道的。又例如:星座是准确的,但你必须先了解背後的理论。)

小众统计(statistics of small numbers)
* 类似监视下的选择。(例如:我的父母吸了一世烟,但他们从未患过癌症。又例如:我不管其他人如何讲 Toyota,我的 Toyota 却从未发生过问题。)只指出少量有利数据,与整体机会并无关系。〔译注:把 Yugo 改成 Toyota 使更易明白〕

稻草人谬误(straw man)
* 创造一个虚假的情况,然後去攻击它。(例如:进化论者认为所有事物都是随机的。)大部份进化论者认为,在自然选择的解释下,可能包括偶发的成份,但并非全然依靠随机。抹黑你的对手只会令讨论的功能偏离。

你我皆错(two wrongs make a right)
指控其他人跟我们所做的同样事情,为我们所作所为辩护。(例如:你有甚麽资格批评我?你也跟我做着一模一样的事情!)控方的所犯的罪与讨论本身并无关连。

分散注意力的谬误(Fallacies of Distraction)

* 两难推理(False Dilemma) 错谬:为多於一个答案的问题提供不足(通常两个)的选择,即是隐藏了一些选择,最典型的表现是非黑即白观点。 o 例子:萨达姆是邪恶的,所以美军是正义之师。 o 解释:除正邪之争外,还有邪邪之争及许多难分正邪的纷争,所以不能单以萨达姆邪恶便认定美军正义。

诉诸无知(From Ignorance) 错谬:因为不能否定,所以必然肯定,反之亦然。 o 例子:没有人能证明鬼不存在,那麽鬼肯定存在。 o 解释:总有些事是既不能否定,亦不能肯定的。除了肯定和否定,我们还可以存疑吧!

滑坡谬误(Slippery Slope) 错谬:不合理使用连串因果关系。 o 例子:迟到的学生要判死刑。因为迟到是不用功的表现;将来工作也不勤力;不勤力导致公司损失;公司损失就会倒闭;公司倒闭会使人失业;失业造成家庭问题;家庭问题导致自杀率上升,为了防止自杀率上升,我们应判迟到的学生死刑。 o 解释:滑坡谬误中假定了连串「可能性」为「必然性」。比方说,迟到是否「必然」是不用功的表现?将来工作又是否「必然」不勤力?答案可想而知。例子虽然夸张,但其实许多时候大家亦会犯相同错误而不自知。

复合问题(Complex Question) 错谬:一条问题内包含两个无关的重点。 o 例子:你还有没有干那非法勾当?(你有干非法勾当吗?是否还有继续?) o 解释:简单的一句提问,其实隐藏了两个问题。你给予其中一条问题的答案,并不一定和另外一条的一样。例如你有干非法勾当,但未必等於你还有继续。

诉诸其他支持(Appeals to Motives in Place of Support)

* 诉诸势力(Appeal to Force) 错谬:以势力服人。 o 例子:若你不想被解雇,你必须认同公司的制度。 o 解释:这是以工作机会强迫员工认同制度,员工不是依据制度好坏来决定认同与否。

诉诸怜悯(Appeal to Pity) 错谬:以别人的同情心服人。 o 例子:希望你接受我这个多月来天天通宵撰写的建议书。 o 解释:建议书的好坏,不在乎花了多少时间,而是取决於其内容,提出「多月来天天通宵撰写」只为搏取同情。

诉诸结果(Consequences) 错谬:以讨好或不讨好的结果服人。 o 例子:你若不听我的话,我便打你,不准你外出,扣起你的零用。

诉诸不中肯字词(Prejudicial Language) 错谬:以不中肯的字词修饰论点。 o 例子:凡是爱国的人都会认同订立国家安全法的必要。 o 诉诸大众(Popularity) 错谬:以被广泛接纳为理由服人。 o 例子:看!人人都这样说,还会错吗?

一厢情愿(Wishful Thinking) 错谬:以自己单方面想法作为论证根据。 o 例子:因为我希望明天在户外打球,所以明天一定天晴。

改变话题(Changing the Subject)

* 人身攻击(Attacking the Person) 错谬〔一〕:以攻击发言人代替攻击其论点(因人废言)。 o 例子 :张厂长反对陈主任增加成本会计部的建议:「你当然说成本会计十分重要,因为你是会计主任。」 o 错谬〔二〕:由回应论点改变为攻击论点发起人的处境。 o 例子 :你竟相信那些草根阶层的说话? o 错谬〔三〕:提出「你也是!」的不恰当反问作论据。 o 例子 :父:吸烟对健康不好!儿:为什麽你也吸?

诉诸权威(Appeal to Authority)

错谬〔一〕:诉诸讨论的范畴以外的权威人士。 o 例子 :经济学家都认为爱因斯坦的相对论是不可能的。

错谬〔二〕:诉诸权威人士的个人意见。
例子 :罗局长说:「学生是政府的政策下最大得益者,所以学生无权批评领导人」 o 解释 :学生是政府的政策下最大得益者只是罗局长的说话,事实上学生是否政府的政策下最大得益者,却没有一个客观答案。

错谬〔三〕:该范畴的权威人士不是认真的回应。(例如:只是在开玩笑/喝醉。) o 例子 :「有香车自然有美人,BENZ的总公司董事长都这样说啦!」

匿名权威(Anonymous Authority) 错谬:匿名的权威人士使人不能确定其权威性。 o 例子:有位心理学家曾经说过,每人都有犯罪倾向。

o 作风盖过本体(Style Over Substance) 错谬:讨论者以作风盖过事件本身使人认为其论点正确。 o 例子:以他一向的对人的态度,他一定不会对你好的。

归纳的谬误(Inductive Fallacies)

* 轻率的归纳(Hasty Generalization) 错谬:用作归纳总体的样本太少。 o 例子:我问了十个人,有九个说反对民主党。结论:原来九成香港人反对民主党。 o 解释:单凭十个人论断香港七百万人?未免太轻率吧。若说访问了数万人,得出来的结果便较有说服力。

不具代表性的例子(Unrepresentative Sample) 错谬:用作归纳的例子不能代表其总体。 o 例子:叶继欢持械行劫;林过云奸杀多女;欧阳炳强纸盒藏屍。香港人肯定有杀人倾向。

不当类比(Weak Analogy) 错谬:以两件不相似的事件/事物作类比。 o 例子:他对朋友这麽好,对女朋友一定很好呢。

懒散的归纳(Slothful Induction) 错谬:否定归纳得出来的恰当结论。 o 例子:即使有万多个实验证明化学物质影响我们的感觉,我就是不相信。

排除证据谬误(Fallacy of Exclusion) 错谬:故意把重要的证据隐藏,以得出不同的结论。 o 例子:

统计三段论的谬误(Fallacies Involving Statistical Syllogisms)

* 例外(Accident) 错谬:以概括情况加诸应有的例外情况。
* 例子:政府法例规定,行走此公路的汽车最高时速为七十公里。所以即使载着快要生产的产妇,亦不可开得快过七十公里。

* 相反的例外(Converse Accident) 错谬:以例外情况加诸应有的概括情况。
* 例子:我们准许濒死的病人注射海洛英,基於人人平等,也应让其他人注射海洛英。

因果的谬误(Causal Fallacies)

* 巧合谬误(Coincidental Correlation) 错谬:以个别情况肯定某种因果关系。 o 例子:希希吃了一种药,出现过敏反应。因此,希希认为这种药必然导致过敏反应。 o 解释:希希遇到的只是个别例子,不能因此论断该药必然导致过敏反应。

复合结果(Joint Effect) 错谬:当两件事都为某原因的结果时,以一事为另一事的原因。 o 例子:记者报导离乡背井的战争难民中的一家人:「他们因为房子被炮火所毁而逃到这里。」 o 解释:炮火导致这家人的房子被毁及离乡逃难;房子被毁并不导致这家人离开原居地。

无足轻重(Genuine but Insignificant Cause) 错谬:举出无足轻重的次要原因论证,遗漏真正的主因。 o 例子:吸烟使香港空气质素每况愈下。 o 解释:导致香港空气质素差的主因是交通公具的废气和天气情况。

倒果为因(Wrong Direction) 错谬:颠倒事件的因果关系。 o 例子:癌症导致吸烟 o 解释:吸烟才是癌症的原因。

复合原因(Complex Cause) 错谬:只指出多个原因中的其中一个为事件主因。 o 例子:你一日到晚都只是玩游戏机而不温习,难怪你考试成绩那麽差。 o 解释:除了玩游戏机而不温习外,还有其他原因,例如考试期间一时大意或者试题太难,但它们和玩游戏机一样,不一定是主因。

论点缺失谬误(Missing the Point)

* 乞求/窃取论点(Begging the Question) 错谬:以假定正确的论点得出结论。 o 例子:我知道有上帝,因为《圣经》是这样说,而《圣经》是不会错,因为它是上帝写的。

不恰当结论(Irrelevant Conclusion) 错谬:提出作支持的论据主要支持其他结论。 o 例子:

稻草人谬误(Straw Man) 错谬:扭曲对方论据以攻击之。 o 例子:进化论说人是由猩猩演化而来。 o 解释:进化论只是说人和猩猩有共同祖先。

含糊不清谬误(Fallacies of Ambiguity)

* 含糊其辞(Equivocation) 错谬:使用有多於一个含义的字眼。 o 例子:甲:喇叭中学又发生学生殴斗事件。乙:噢!是九龙那所吗?甲:&%^%$&%$#... o 解释:甲这里没有表明是新界喇叭,使乙误会成九龙的喇叭书院。

模棱两可(Amphiboly) 错谬:句子结构含多种解释方法。 o 例子: o 重音谬误(Accent) 错谬:以重音强调某字眼或字句,达致其他意思。 o 例子:

类目错误(Category Errors)

* 构成谬误(Composition) 错谬:以总体的某部份符合某条件推断总体均符合某条件。
* 例子:

* 分割谬误(Division) 错谬:以总体符合某条件推断总体的所有部份均符合某条件。
* 例子:

不根据前题的推理(Non Sequitur)

* 肯定後件(Affirming the Consequent) 错谬:所有依此结构的推论:若A则必定B;B,所以便A。 o 例子:如果他在中环,他一定在港岛。因此如果他现在在港岛,他一定在中环。 o 解释:在港岛不一定要在中环,可以在金钟、湾仔、铜锣湾等。因港岛包含了以上各项。

否定前件(Denying the Antecedent) 错谬:所有依此结构的推论:若A则必定B; 非A,所以非B。 o 例子:如果他在中环,他一定在港岛。因此如果他现在不在中环,那麽他一定不在港岛。 o 解释:不在中环,也可以在金钟、湾仔、铜锣湾等。因港岛包含了以上各项。

前後矛盾(Inconsistency) 错谬:断言两件矛盾的事件都正确

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Talk About Nephi

...What did Nephi see among the nations of the Gentiles? (1 Nephi 13:4-5) Aloha! Brothers and sisters, we are always reminded to prepare for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Our prophets, apostles, and leaders have seriously and actively engaging themselves for this cause. They also are fervently asking us to repent and serve this church wholly. You might ask the question why? Why can’t we just mind our own selves and leave others to think for their own? Why is there missionary work? Why is there home teaching and visiting teaching? Why do we even bother? My topic is very sensitive especially to those who are currently investigating the church and who are having doubts about its foundation. And because of this, I would like to divide my talk in three questions. These are: What did Nephi see, What do we have to be the true Church, What can we do to help? * What did Nephi see? One of the vivid answers we can find in the scripture is found in 1 Nephi 13:4-5. This scripture block is very sensitive to those who will read the Book of Mormon and is one of the reasons of commotion. Allow me to read it to you, quote, “And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of the Gentiles the formation of a great church. And the angel said unto me: “Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into...

Words: 935 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Let's Talk About It

...Communication: Let’s Talk About It Martha Maghett COM 321 Professor Cheryl Harris January 12, 2015 Let’s Talk About It Communication is a very complex topic, in that it has many definitions, interpretations and models that guide us through our world. It has been studied over the centuries by historians, and rhetoricians, from Aristotle, Plato, and Dance. They have studied and taught communication theory and correct speaking techniques from Ancient Greece to Modern colleges today. Communication theories seek to inform us of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, but it also studies and examines why we have certain thoughts about objects in our environment, why we feel a certain way about people in our interpersonal relationships, groups or organizational structures. Communication teaches us how to use our social and cultural perspectives, such as psychological, social constructionist, and the pragmatic, all of which are a coherent set of assumptions about the way a process operates. (Trenholm, 2011) The psychological, gives us an insight as to what the sender or receiver of the communication process is thinking. The social constructionist model, allows one to adjust their cultural or learned behaviors to any given situation. The pragmatic, can be like a game, if one gets stuck in a game of chess do they just quit the game or continue on? Communication can help us deal with other people individually and in groups, it can also help us to identify if our behavior remains the...

Words: 2388 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Something to Talk About

...around in circles, wincing after every circle made, until people learn to eventually drown out the noise. After graduating college, I felt the “real world” was mine to conquer, to climb to the top and thrust my flag in for all to admire. I still remember moving in to my new place seven years ago. My parents gave me enough money to lees out a place of my own, as a sort of graduation present. The first night I slept in my new apartment, on my new mattress, the only thing I could think about was how this was a stepping stone for the start of my legacy. My eyes closed, I think about those times and feel my face cracking into a grin, the naivety of youth coupled with dreams of stars and fluff. I recall setting my sights lower and lower as time went by, to where I am at now- your average pencil pusher from nine to five. I open my eyes and look at my bedside clock, eight-thirty it tells me. I go wash up a bit and decide on eating out today. I like walking outside, watching other people going about their trivial activities, some even considering it to be important. I eat at a local Chinese restaurant, a place where I’ve grown partial to the food. After eating I go on a walk. I do that from time to time, walking aimlessly. It’s really mostly to escape the loneliness of the apartment for a while. Sometimes I even...

Words: 1504 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love

... Communication is Key Communication is when someone gives or receives from another person information about that person's needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or affective states. Human beings need to communicate in order to share and makes other understand their sense of self and awareness of who they are. Expressing and listening others self-concept are essential for successful relationships in any area of our lives. Raymond Carver, an American short story writer and poet, was always concerned with the ways in which human beings communicate or fail to communicate with each other and how that affects people’s lives. Carver found the way to express this concern through stories such as “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” and “Cathedral”. He presents situations where the characters of these stories had difficulties communicating their feelings. Caver is known for his distinctive and well...

Words: 1331 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love

...In Raymond Carver’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” there was one theme that was consistent throughout the whole story. It is that not one of the four characters of the story could explain what love is. Each character in the story each had their own ideas to what they wanted love to be but not what it actually was. Whether it was suicidal love, abusive love, or just physical love, each person in the story held fast to what they believed love to be, even if they could not explain why. One of the main characters, Mel, attempts time and again to identify the meaning of love, but he never forms any clear conclusion. Each time he is about to say something important he gets sidetrack or forgets for a little while what he was about to say. For example, he tells a story about an old couple who almost die in a car crash, but half way through he gets distracted. When he finally gets to the conclusion of the story—the old man miserable because he could not see his wife—confuses the others. When he tells everyone that he will explain what exactly love is, he instead strays into a jumbled reflection about how it is bizarre that he and the others have been in love repeatedly. His efforts to illuminate the nature of love tapers off into a bitter lecture against his ex-wife. He spends a lot of his time saying what love is not and not saying what it actual is.In the story Mel says “There was a time when I thought I loved my first wife more than life itself. But now I hate her guts...

Words: 761 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

What America Talks About

...Thanks for participating in our study to learn “what America talks about!” The purpose of this diary is to help you remember the conversations you had throughout day. Please feel free to record conversation details next to the corresponding topic below or record information on a separate sheet of paper. Please include face-to-face conversations as well as phone calls, emails, letters, blogs, online chats, instant messages, or any other communications. If a conversation falls into several topic areas, please record the conversation next to each topic that applies. Please try not to change your normal conversation pattern just because you are participating in this study. It doesn’t matter how many or how few conversations you have in these topic areas. Tomorrow you will receive an invitation to an online survey to collect this information. General topics | How many conversations by topic | List all companies or brands** mentioned by name | Automotive: Cars, trucks, auto parts, repair, services such as road-side assistance, navigation, etc. | | | Financial Services: Savings/investments, banking, credit cards, insurance of all kinds, money transfer, real estate, etc. | | | Health & Healthcare: Illnesses, drugs/pharmaceuticals, doctors, hospitals, treatments, diets, supplements, vision care/eye wear, etc. | | | Food & Dining: Packaged, fresh & frozen food, snacks, candy, gum, recipes, supermarkets, meal preparation, restaurants, restaurant chains...

Words: 480 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love By Raymond Carver

...A hundred million thoughts run through our mind when we think about love. Whether it is a person or an object that we adore, we all have different ideas of what love is, but love varies in different relationships. The short story “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”, written by Raymond Carver, entails two couples talking about love and we discover what love is from the main characters, Mel and Terri. This couple has had quite a few road bumps in their past relationships. Mel’s perspective on love is that abusive love is not real love; I agree with his conceptualization. Terri’s concepts of what love is leads her to believe that being in an abusive relationship is acceptable. Carver’s story is believable because people have different...

Words: 1733 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Something to Talk About on the Way to the Funeral

...“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me” –Carol Burnett. The twentieth century dramatist Ama Ata Aidoo perfectly fits this quote; as she really did change the society and people’ mentalities through her writings. Her voice depicts concerns over many social and political issues at the Ghanaian society. She stated repeated concerns for the dilemma of womanhood in Ghanaian culture at her time; she endowed the female characters in her literary works with strong wills and distinct personalities. Although she wants to prove her identity in her writings, she as well helps to expose the exploitation and disenfranchisement of women from the essence of their own identities. In “Something to Talk About on the Way to the Funeral” Aido describes women who bravely survive despite of the obstacles in the neo-colonial Ghanaian society. For the majority of her female characters independence has brought no relief and has in fact only increased the difficulties they face; this is exactly what happened to Aunt Araba or “the good woman who does not rot” She was given a part of her independence and was sent to live with a relative, as a consequence; she got pregnant without being married. Survival is the driving and divine force thorough out the story as even after she got pregnant without marriage and in the face of this tremendous troubles, Araba did not surrender nor even weakened. Instead she even got stronger “She returned home to her mother, she was looking like a ram from the...

Words: 812 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

We Need to Talk About Kevin

...WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN It was a good movie to see that how the interaction of attachment and biological predisposition goes on a a school massacre as an ending point. In the beginning of movie we saw a young woman in a fest and enjoying with friends. Then she married and quitted such life. It was the precursor of her unhappiness and insecure attachment with his child. Then she moved another place and began to live a different life from she had before. She had a baby through an unplanned pregnancy. Because of the all these causes, we had an unhappy and depressed mother who experienced difficulties while forming attachment with her son, Kevin. In flashback scenes, we also saw that during 9 months of pregnancy, she couldn’t internalize and embrace her son. Development, long process, also trace to pregnancy, even earlier periods, so Kevin felt her mother’s unhappiness because of him. That is to say, all we know that babies also feel when they are unwanted. After Kevin was born, the mother’s mood and feelings wouldn’t change. At the time she was giving birth, she had same numbness on her face. Up to now it may seem that I am blaming the mother, but it is not like that. Because in addition to mother’s depressed mood and numb face, Kevin was also difficult child. The mother was also aware of it, very early months. He was crying constantly and never showing a warm affect towards his mother. She really tried her best to form a secure and intimate relationship, she also tried her...

Words: 628 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Something to Talk About on the Way to the Funeral

...“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me” –Carol Burnett. The twentieth century dramatist Ama Ata Aidoo perfectly fits this quote; as she really did change the society and people’ mentalities through her writings. Her voice depicts concerns over many social and political issues at the Ghanaian society. She stated repeated concerns for the dilemma of womanhood in Ghanaian culture at her time; she endowed the female characters in her literary works with strong wills and distinct personalities. Although she wants to prove her identity in her writings, she as well helps to expose the exploitation and disenfranchisement of women from the essence of their own identities. In “Something to Talk About on the Way to the Funeral” Aido describes women who bravely survive despite of the obstacles in the neo-colonial Ghanaian society. For the majority of her female characters independence has brought no relief and has in fact only increased the difficulties they face; this is exactly what happened to Aunt Araba or “the good woman who does not rot” She was given a part of her independence and was sent to live with a relative, as a consequence; she got pregnant without being married. Survival is the driving and divine force thorough out the story as even after she got pregnant without marriage and in the face of this tremendous troubles, Araba did not surrender nor even weakened. Instead she even got stronger “She returned home to her mother, she was looking like a ram from the...

Words: 344 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Analysis: We Need to Talk About Kevin

...“We Need to Talk About Kevin,” a novel written by Lionel Shriver about a boy who commits a Columbine at his high school. Written in the perspective of his mother, she reflects and analyzes starting from the point prior to Kevin's birth. She questions whether choices she made, how she felt about Kevin, actions that were taken, not taken, was the cause of her son killing his classmates. Or the possibility that Kevin was born with an unstable mindset. Eva, the mother, had a very successful career. She was the CEO and owner of a travel agency. Prior to having children, she traveled a lot and for months at a time. She married Franklin, who was a freelance photographer. They were a slightly older couple in their forties when they decided to have children. Eva loved her career; her life was her work, so why have kids when their relationship seems so peachy? “(She) was absolutely terrified of having children.” (pg. 32 WNTAK) The decision boiled down to having children was for the sake of having something to talk about. This was a huge indication that this couple should not have had children under such pretenses. Eva had Kevin, but did not have that bond that forms between mother and child. She described her pregnancy as “battling the idea of Kevin, the notion that (she) had been demoted from driver to vehicle, from householder to house.” (pg. 58 WNTAK) “Childbirth had left her unmoved.” (pg. 83 WNTAK) On another hand, Franklin embraced parenthood. In the father's eyes, Kevin was a...

Words: 883 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

When We Talk About Love Theme

...components that contribute to the theme of the short story “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love” by Raymond Carver are plot and character. The main character of the story plays a big role in creating the theme and the symbols that are prominent also contribute to the theme. This author used these key components to help the readers understand the main point of the story. The main character Mel and the symbols love and gin are all important to identify the theme in this short story. The theme in the story is the complicated meaning of love. The character Mel is a round character in the story. His character is sometimes hard to understand and figure out and also is shown to have more than one side. He is a very confused character...

Words: 958 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Analysis: We Need To Talk About An Injustice

...Bryan Stevenson, an American lawyer, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative gave a ted talk titled “We Need to Talk About an Injustice”. In that talk, he discussed the current condition of the American criminal justice system and the issue of mass incarceration. He stated that “we have a system of justice in this country that treats you much better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent. Wealth, not culpability, shapes outcomes.” I found this to be a profound quote on the criminal justice system as it seems contrary to everything the rule of law is about. So I considered if this was similar in a Canadian context, if there are any inequalities in the way we administer justice, and criminal law. I found...

Words: 946 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

About a Boy

...Jenny Smith November 28, 2011 Dr. Min Young Lee English 121 sec 28 The Coming of Age of the Male Characters in About a Boy About a boy is a contemporary novel written by the British author Nick Hornby. It incorporates constructs of post-modern writing by bringing into focus the artists, and styles, and prose of the vernacular. The setting of the novel takes place in London in the mid 1990s. About a boy gives a unique perspective of a coming of age story. It follows the coming of age of two boys of two very different ages; Will Freeman 36 years old and Marcus 12. This novel shows the contrast between consumerism and materialism with real interpersonal connections. Will Freeman made the decision to pursue materialism rather than personal friendships, and to live in self-imposed isolation. Will had the ability to buy “cool” clothes, and sunglasses and sneakers, and so was never at a loss for acquaintances. Marcus, on the other hand, felt isolation due to a lack of materialism. Marcus was an outsider in his school in London since he could not have the best “coolest” clothes, shoes, and haircuts and thus was always the target of bullying. However, as the plot progresses, Marcus and Will undergo transformational experiences together to become more connected to the people around them. The transformational experiences of Fiona’s suicide, falling in love, and Marcus’ arrest all culminate in the maturation of Will and Marcus’ and the genesis of interpersonal connections between...

Words: 1488 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Today I Talk About Explore How Employees

...Today I talk about explore how employees survive the alienating tendencies at work by developing various coping strategies. The analysis begins with a discussion of the extent to which work produces conditions of alienation for employees. This is followed by an examination of the way that employees may counter alienating tendencies through various creative strategies. And there are five survival strategies are explored: Alienation is freely used in the media and arises in everybody conversation. Here we have restricted the discussion to outlining two different perspectives on alienation. The first views alienation as an objective state, and builds on concepts originally defined by Karl Marx, while the second introduces elements of subjectivity into the analysis of alienation, and terms from a study by Robert Blauner. According to Marx, employees experience four types of estrangement: Self-estrangement, Estrangement from the product of their labour, Estrangement from their species being, Estrangement from others. Blauner argued two assumptions that differ from those suggested by Marx. 1. Alienation is not inevitable under capitalism. 2. Work has different meanings for different people. Our central proposition is that employees develop coping strategies, which combat alienation through informal processes and action. The five main survival strategies that employees engage in are listed below, Making out Fiddling Sabotage Joking Escaping ...

Words: 441 - Pages: 2