Quoting out of context
Also called: Quote mining, Contextomy
Using a snippet of what someone said in a way that changes or reverses what they meant.
How to spot it
A short quote with no source or date, or one that stops at an odd place. Find the full passage.
Example
“The report says, ‘the project is a disaster’.” (The full sentence: “Critics say the project is a disaster, but the figures show otherwise.”)
How to answer it
Read the whole passage, quote it in full, and ask where the quote came from.
Related
- Cherry-picking: Showing only the evidence that supports your case, and leaving out the rest.
- Straw man: Attacking a weaker version of what someone said, instead of what they actually said.
- Equivocation: Using a word in two different senses within one argument.