Figures of Speech: Antimetabole
Or why even Marilyn came second in JFK's heart
You’re reading the first post in a new category called Figures of Speech.
In it, you’ll learn about some of the oldest and most popular rhetorical devices speakers through the ages have used to become more persuasive.
For the inaugural one, I’m sharing my favorite figure of speech – antimetabole.
Politicians are suckers for soundbites.
They all want to be able to produce a phrase to echo through the ages and put their names in the marble slabs of history.
Yet, very few succeed. (And that’s probably a good thing.)
This is what makes the following phrase from JFK's inaugural address so impressive:
It would be hard to name a quote that's more iconic and recognizable. So let's take a second to reflect on what makes it so successful.
On the surface, it's a simple call to action to the audience to change their attitude and think about how they can contribute to their society.
So why is it so memorable?
Is it just the cute twist of the language and hitting a note with the American public?
Or is it the smart use of an obscure rhetorical technique with a Greek name?
You probably already know which way I'm leaning...
Introducing antimetabole
Imagine JFK skipped rhetoric class and said something like:
Dear fellow Americans, stop asking how your country is going to help you and instead think of ways you can contribute to the success of the nation.
Fair message? ✅
Fair language? ✅
Yet, completely characterless.
The reason we have the above YouTube cut is the use of antimetabole.
Antimetabole is the repetition of words in successive clauses, but in transposed order.
— Wikipedia
The name (of course) comes from Greek, but if you're more into mid-20th century disco, you can join me into calling it ABBA after the model it follows:
A: With my mind
B: on my money
B: and my money
A: on my mind.
— Snoop Dogg, "Gin and Juice"
The catchy thing about ABBA is that along with changing the order of the words, the meaning/intention is changed as well – that's exactly what happens when President Kennedy asks his fellow Americans to...stop being so bloody selfish.
Why is antimetabole so popular?
JFK was so enamored with antimetabole, that there are speeches where he used it multiple times. And since he was definitely above-average with public speaking, we can assume he knew what he was doing.
Antimetabole has 3 characteristics that make it so successful (and so popular) as a rhetorical device – it's simple, memorable, and convincing.
Simple
Antimetabole is the rhetorical version of Buy 1 get 1 free. Simply speaking, you get 2 sentences with 2 distinct meanings with the same set of words.
This decreases the cognitive load (i.e. you have to spend less energy thinking) to process each message and makes it easier to remember both parts of the message.
Equally important, it's also harder to confuse both parts, because they only make sense when complementing and mirroring each other.
Which brings us to the second point.
Memorable
Repetition is memorable on its own. Even with the transposition of the words, ABBA relies heavily on repetition which gives it the added benefit of making it memorable.
However, there's an additional factor that makes antimetabole so memorable – it's surprising.
By changing the order of the words, we also change their meaning. This works like a magician who's making you look at their left palm, while pulling out an ace card hidden up the right sleeve of their shirt.
To understand why being memorable matters, consider the following excellent example of antimetabole:
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
I'm sure you've encountered it in a business book (where it's particularly popular) or a blog post.
However, it comes from American football and it's been traced to the middle of the last century.
Few people (even business authors who love dropping it in their books) know where it comes from or who said it first – which means the saying has outlasted the author. That makes it pretty memorable in my book.
Convincing
There's a reason JFK was so reliant on antimetabole – beyond the inherent coolness factor.
Kennedy rose to power by challenging some of the reigning dogma of the day. He often had to push people to change their attitude and consider views that were often in opposition to those they held.
And that's what antimetabole is great at – forcing the audience to consider a different perspective.
It works because it starts from a place they already know (asking how the country can help you) and – using the magic trick described above – exposes them to the new idea (how you can help the country).
Not convinced that works? (That's fair.)
The following NPR article tracks the paths of people (young fellow Americans at the time) who were inspired by JFK's address into starting careers in public service.
Picking something to dedicate your life to after hearing a 10-second soundbite. Pretty persuasive, no?
Want to try it yourself?
How to use antimetabole
Just follow these 3 simple rules in order to make the best of it.
Use it sparingly: You're not JFK. Don't flatter yourself thinking you can pull off using multiple antimetaboles. Save it for a special occasion.
Most important idea: Antimetabole is memorable. Don't burn it on a mundane point. Save it for the most important notion that you want your audience to remember.
Keep it short (and sweet): The main benefit of antimetabole is that it's memorable. The longer and more complex the thought you want to pass, the less likely it is your audience remembers it.
What's your favorite figure of speech?
Do you have one? Maybe you want to learn more about it? Post it in a comment and we'll get to it next