Too often people don't believe an argument because of who said it or who the argument was about. "To refute an argument is to show is it bad. Just as we don't reject a claim because of who said it, we don't refute an argument because of who said it" (Epstein 98).
Jon: I was watching the news last night and it Lindsey Lohan said that drinking and driving is bad.
Rachel: Are you kidding? She is the one who has gotten multiple DUI's.
This is an example of mistaking the person for the argument. While the main argument is that drinking and driving is bad, Rachel only commented on the fact that Lindsey Lohan was the one who said it when she has done that many times. It is important to hear the argument. If a police officer had said that drinking and driving was bad then Rachel may have actually taken in the information as useful because a police officer is more trusting that Lindsey Lohan.
This is a pretty good example. Often time’s people will believe something because of who said it even though the person stating it will have no credibility at all. Driving under the influence is definitely a bad thing to do and even if Lindsey Lohan would say something like that, it does not mean a person should automatically believe it. A police officer would have more credibility in this situation. This example is almost like the opposite of the concept, bad appeals to authority, where people “often accept claims from people who aren’t authorities on the subject or who have the motive to mislead. (Epstein 97)
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