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Christmas Trees

It can be tempting when you’re trying to convince someone of something to just pile on more ideas, even if they’re not really connected to each other, to try to give your argument more weight. Especially when the pile-on pieces are kinda strong in themselves. But it’s a pretty cheap trick. Better just to let the one main point stand.

One of my professors used to call that a “Christmas tree” essay—a stick with a lot of ornaments on it. If you’re tempted to make a Christmas tree then the one main point might not be good enough.

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