False equivalencies might be a tactic used by manipulative communicators to create a sense of balance or equality between two opposing groups or ideas, even when the situation is not equal. This tactic can be used to create confusion and distract from the actual issue at hand, or to advance the communicator’s own agenda.
At its core, a false equivalency is an attempt to equate two ideas or groups that are not actually equal. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as by using misleading statistics, misrepresenting facts, or simply by presenting a false narrative that obscures the true nature of the situation.
Examples of false equivalencies
An example of false equivalency can be seen in the political arena, where politicians may attempt to create a sense of balance between two opposing policies or viewpoints, even when one is clearly more beneficial than the other. For example, a politician might equate tax cuts for the wealthy with social welfare programs for the poor, even though the two policies are not equal in terms of their impact on society.
False equivalencies can also be used to downplay the severity of an issue or to shift blame away from those who are actually responsible. For example, a company that has been found to be polluting a local waterway might attempt to create a false equivalency by blaming local residents for their own poor environmental practices, even though the company is actually responsible for the pollution.
Spotting false equivalencies
So how can you spot a false equivalency in communication?
A red flag to look out for is when the communicator attempts to shift the blame away from those who are actually responsible for an issue, or when they attempt to downplay the severity of the issue at hand. This can be a sign that the communicator is using false equivalencies to advance their own agenda or to distract from the true nature of the situation.
In order to avoid falling victim to false equivalencies, it is important to remain vigilant and to seek out accurate information from a variety of sources. By being aware of the tactics that manipulative communicators use, we can better protect ourselves from their attempts to mislead and deceive us.
