Protocol wrote:Magniir wrote:Why do you think they detract from your point or believe they have no serious place in a debate?
It's as though when I someone uses an analogy toward me they are assuming I am too stupid to figure out what they have to say, so they have to translate it so I can understand it. If you're writing an article about oh let's say abiogenisis, then sure -- go ahead an use an analogy or two, makes it easier to digest. But if you're debating someone then shouldn't they be on the same level you are? If they ask for clarification, then I suppose there's nothing wrong with using an analogy there in concert with an actual explanation of your point.
So you're saying they may not detract from one's point, but the person using them may be unconsciously implying that they are of superior intelligence to their opponents?
Personally, I find that those who tend to use analogies often probably have a hard time explaining themselves, as opposed to thinking their opposition is too stupid to figure out the explanation for themselves. This is why I use analogies.
I don't think my opponents are stupid (at least not all of them), I use them for the same reason my posts tend to be long-winded: I find it difficult to explain myself with words alone. I use analogies as a way to add a sense of imagery to my explanations so that I can literally imagine what I'm describing as opposed to simply retelling it. You'll find many creatives (designer, artists, etc) work better with images than with words, for obvious reasons, and this may be one reason why we use analogies more often than what someone else might.
I simply believe that if I find it hard to understand my own post then I don't see how somebody else of equal intelligence is going to find it any easier. This is the foolish assumption I make in most debates I walk into.
On a slightly related, slightly unrelated note: You need to make more topics like these. For me at least, they provoke thought and I find them rather engaging. The entire Rants & Debates board is honestly something I'd love to make an entire forum out of, simply because I like to debate.