To The People Who Comment After Only Reading The Title

Yes, I’m talking to you.

Photo by Alex Green from Pexels

One of my favorite writing tactics is the bait-and-switch. But I don’t mean click-baiting or misleading my audience in any way.

I mean opening an article with an inflammatory statement or idea — and then taking a deep dive into what is wrong with that idea.

In my recent article, Your Dating Preferences Are Discriminatory, I do just that. The title and first several paragraphs of the article are purposeful — they’re meant to push people’s buttons.

Once you get past the title and intro, however, you’ll see that the bulk of the article unpacks the way that this form of thinking makes absolutely no sense.

The article’s true message isn’t quite what you’d expect from only reading the title.

Why do I use this technique?

For one, I find it entertaining.

It can be amusing to unpack an idea that you fundamentally disagree with by explaining it in your own words. (Bonus points if you get the jargon and vocabulary right.)

But two — it grabs people’s attention.

It makes people want to jump onto their keyboards and begin typing away, ready to ruin your soul or applaud you…