Tendentious for Dummies

Tendentious is a word that can sound a bit tricky when you first hear it, but fear not! I'm here to help you understand its meaning in the easiest way possible. So let's dive right in and explore what tendentious actually means.

When we say someone or something is tendentious, it means that they have a strong tendency or leaning towards a particular point of view or opinion. It's like when you have a favorite flavor of ice cream, and no matter what, you always tend to choose that one flavor over all the others. So, being tendentious means favoring one side or having a bias towards a specific perspective.

Imagine you're on a playground, and you notice two groups of kids playing a game of soccer. One group firmly believes that playing a specific way is the only way to succeed, while the other group thinks differently and prefers a completely opposite approach. Each group has their own tendentious thoughts on how to play the game best. So in this scenario, being tendentious would mean favoring one group's approach over the other.

Now, when it comes to tendentiousness, it's not just about having a preference or bias. It can also mean that someone is actively promoting their point of view while disregarding or dismissing other perspectives. In a discussion, a tendentious person might passionately defend their opinion without giving much thought to other valid ideas or counterarguments. It's like wearing a pair of tinted glasses that only lets you see a limited range of colors, while ignoring all the beautiful shades out there.

Let me give you an example to make it even clearer. Imagine you're reading a newspaper article written by a journalist who clearly has a strong personal opinion about a specific topic, let's say climate change. The journalist might include only selective information, using persuasive language to influence the reader's opinion and convince them that his or her viewpoint is the only correct one. In this case, we could say that the article is tendentious because it heavily leans towards one side and doesn't provide a fair and balanced view.

So, in a nutshell, tendentious means having a strong tendency or leaning towards a specific point of view, often to the extent of ignoring or dismissing other perspectives. It's like having a favorite ice cream flavor and always choosing it, or wearing tinted glasses that only allow you to see one limited shade of color. Remember that being tendentious doesn't leave much room for open-mindedness or considering different ideas. It's important to appreciate and respect diverse perspectives to truly understand and engage in meaningful discussions. I hope this explanation has made the meaning of the word tendentious crystal clear for you!