Cherry Picking
Hey friends - especially my student followers. Here is yet another reminder about cherry-picking and intellectual integrity when writing history essays. While this is a tempting thing to do, it is positively ahistorical. In case you have forgotten, cherry-picking is selectively choosing evidence that supports an argument while ignoring everything else. You could do this to finesse an argument you concocted before consulting the historical record or you could do it to support a political agenda. Either way, it’s an insincere way to do history – because it doesn’t reflect the complete historical record or honestly assess historical context. In the worst-case scenario, cherry-picking is a deliberate and deceitful manipulation of the historical record in an effort to sway someone to your position. Mindless ideologues do this sort of thing all the time. Some think of this as the willful and malicious promotion of propaganda. I call it “weaponizing” history. Either way, it’s not doing history. Avoid the activity at all costs.
You can learn more about this and other great ideas to improve your writing in my book Mastering the Past: Unlocking Excellence in High School History.
With compliments,
Keith