Welcome to Career Advise, the newsletter providing career advice, how-tos, and life musings through an optimistic and intriguing lens.

Each week, you will receive two newsletters written by the Oppstartr Team. Mondays — Our career-focused newsletter. Fridays — Out of Office where we discuss life and other thought-provoking ideas.

Happy Friday to you all, and welcome to Out of Office, the weekend edition of Career Advise.

What is This?

If you have spent any amount of time on the internet, especially social media, you have probably come across the following “argument”: It’s [insert current year], why does [insert thing] still (not) exist? You may have seen it in its statement form too: It’s [insert current year], [insert thing] should (not) exist.

People state these so-called “arguments” quite often. However, I have a feeling they are not using them in the manner in which they believe they are.

It’s Not a Great Argument.

I have seen this question put forth as the argument for or against whatever practice the advocate seeks to add or eliminate from society.

The problem is that it isn’t an argument. It’s simply a question, and, at best, a weak rhetorical question. It does not seek to provide any reason for why said practice should or should not exist. Ideas and practices are not dependent on the year in which they reside or should reside to be legitimate or not, with exception (see the exception paragraph).

Let's say you are anti-saying-thank-you (I haven’t heard this; I just didn’t feel like being controversial), and you want to see this practice abolished. In a debate setting, you confidently proclaim your main argument as “It’s 2024, why do we still say thank you?”

This “argument” may work against you and your position because:

1. People may feel you haven’t thought through the position and may perceive you as ignorant or an ideologue. “This is the best argument they can come up with?”

2. You truly haven’t thought through your position and don’t have a sound argument. You will be rebutted.

An Exception

You could use the question as an argument if a practice is truly dependent on time.

Hypothetically, a law was passed last year by your local city government to give tax breaks, and in the current year, you have not seen these implemented. The argument can work since the law is dependent on a specified time.

Fine Question; Bad Argument.

I am not at all opposed to asking the question or saying the statement. I think we should question the practices that occur within society or that we feel should occur. Perhaps the practice in question is truly a bad one and we should seek to eliminate it, or maybe we rediscover the usefulness of the item or practice and decide to keep it. It’s a fine and legitimate question, it’s just not an argument.

Let’s take a real-world example.

When would you guess feudalism ended in Europe? 1456? 1589? 1919?

What if I told you it was 2008?

Yes, this is true. The practice of feudalism ended in Europe in 2008 on the island of Sark in the English Channel. It was not the usual Medieval model, but the hereditary Seigneur or Lord held the island for the Crown and the citizens didn’t vote, thus making it feudal.

So saying “It’s 2008, why does feudalism still exist?”, was a fair question, but it was not the argument that ended the practice. It was 2008. Why did feudalism still exist? Well, the system was working. The question was not the argument.

The argument is that feudalism is not compatible with European democracy and the rights of its citizens, and that argument ended the practice.

Parting Advice

If you are an advocate for or against a practice, it is more than fine to use the above sentences and statements to bring public attention to your cause, but have a real argument to back it up.

Thank you for reading Career Advise. Be sure to read our upcoming issue on Monday where we focus on our fourth pillar: Craft the Skills.

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