Antisagoge (an-tis-a-go’-gee): 1. Making a concession before making one’s point (=paromologia); 2. Using a hypothetical situation or a precept to illustrate antithetical alternative consequences, typically promises of reward and punishment.
1. I know I’m not the smartest person in the world, but it does not take a genius to drive a school bus. It takes a spotless driving record, a sense of direction, an abundance of patience, consistent promptness, and genuine concern for the kids’ well being.
I’m blessed with all four of those attributes! Whoops. I mean all five of those attributes.
Do I get the job?
2. So you want a pet turtle. Ok, but on one condition: Neither I nor your father will have anything to do with it.
But now, imagine this: You’ve been invited to go snowboarding for the weekend. You plan on being gone for 3 nights and 2 days.
As you’re packing in your room, your turtle looks up at you with his little beady black eyes. Already, the lettuce you gave him for breakfast is turning brown. His water is hosting an armada of little turtle poops, is starting to smell like rotten eggs, and may be brewing a batch of salmonella.
How are you going to make sure your turtle gets fed and has clean water to paddle around in?
It comes down to this: Either you stay home and take care of the turtle and the turtle continues to flourish, or you go snowboarding and let the little guy possibly die. What will it be: take care of turtle or go on snowboarding trip?
You can’t realistically go snowboarding and take care of the turtle (unless you get one of your so-called friends to help–which, given your friends, is a very remote possibility).
Given that some version of this dilemma will happen over and over, I think, for you, not being tied down by a turtle is your best option.
In summary:
No turtle=go snowboarding for the weekend. Have turtle=stay home for the weekend.
- Post your own antisagoge on the “Comments” page!
Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).
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