Do I like when people answer their own rhetorical questions? No.
I think rhetorical questions can be a persuasive and colorful form of language, but only when left unanswered.
I’m not sure how or when it started, but answering your own insincere rhetorical question seems to be increasingly popular these days, especially among public relation and business folk. Here’s how they do it: “Am I happy about [insert any controversial issue here]? No. But… [insert any justification here].” Worse still, rhetorical answer lovers will often string together three negative questions, followed by a mega justification. Dumb.
Good communication is concise and precise, replete with active voice and direct sentences. In other words, I don’t like when people answer their own rhetorical questions.
January 28th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Do I agree with this article? Should people take it to heart? Is creeping like a creeper awesome? Hells yeah.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:46 am
I have noticed more and more people around doing this.
I always thought it was a sign of mental imbalance as I have notice my wife increasingly answer her own questions particularly when she is wound up.
Blame Donald Rumsfeld who seemed to do it often during press interviews.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
I came across this post while searching for video of Rumsfeld answering his own questions. I’m preparing a presentation to introduce George Orwell’s 1984. (See pp. 46-47 of the Signet Classic edition)