This just in: The Y has just been changed to a G...G for gullible

Today’s society suffers from two major problems that are closely related: laziness and instant gratification. These two problems cause a great number of issues, but I want to focus on rhetoric. Being divided into two, rhetoric consists of conveying a message (writing) and receiving messages (reading). Too many people want to take short cuts and finish faster while appearing to be just as good as everyone else, which would create the illusion that they are better than they really are, and better than others. This occurs in both the writing phase as well as the reading phase.

Did you know that 86.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot? I was shocked too. It just so happens though, that it is a lie, but a better example of the irresponsibility or writers in today’s world. Too many times, we are guilty of not checking our facts, or even worse, making up our own facts. I include myself because most writers at early levels can easily fall into this trap – sometimes without trying. If you’ve ever used something and not cited your source you are guilty of not being a reliable source (and plagiarism for that matter). Oops!

Plagiarism causes problems by lifting ourselves up and not giving proper due to whom it properly belongs. It is taking a shortcut and stealing from those who have done hard work to further whatever field they work in. If we gained something from someone, we should let it be known. We owe it to those that have gone before us. In short plagiarism is the combination of laziness and instant gratification.

What about taking something out of context and twisting it to meet our needs? Is that responsible writing or justifying our way to instant gratification? Take into account Stephen Colbert: a funny mock news reporter who frequently reads quotes and shows video clips yet takes them out of context. He is irresponsible as a news reporter (whether or not his intention is to come across the way he does will not be taken into account here) and is taken as a credible source by far too many people. The intentional lying is unethical. Every writer owes his reader his best effort and the most in depth research. Too often reporting something wrong due to this unethical approach is gone uncorrected.

It turns out that it’s really 45.2% of all statistics are made up on the spot. I was actually “corrected” once by someone who “knew” the real number – I guess some people don’t get jokes. Maybe this person heard this “statistic” from someone whom he considered reliable. Maybe he expected the truth and nothing else. While we as readers can and should be trusting, who can we blame when we have been duped? It is our job to figure out if each person is reliable or not by checking out said persons history as well as their works cited. I know, I know, heaven forbid we put any work into understanding what we read! If we know we are guilty of cutting corners, is it not possible that maybe some writers do the same?

In a world of 24 hour news, text alerts, twitter updates, and any other form of communication, everyone is looking to gain the advantage. We owe it to ourselves as writers and readers to do the work, present the truth, and learn the truth. It is only once we hold ourselves to this higher standard that we can hold others to it and better today’s problems – at least in rhetoric that is.