Fallacies get in the way of thinking. They can be eliminated once you understand what they are and how to disarm them.
Suppose your plane crashed in the middle of nowhere with you and a dozen other survivors. You have three options: Everyone leaves the crash site to look for food and help. Half of the group leaves the crash site to look for food and help, while the other half stays put. Everyone stays at the …
Cognitive Biases and Fallacies: Definition, Examples & Differences Read More »
Suppose I ask you to multiply two large numbers–say 12,653 and 65,321. How would you get the correct answer? You’d probably use a calculator or the good old multiplication algorithm you learned as a kid. One thing is clear: if you don’t use the correct method, then you’re not guaranteed to get the correct answer. …
Fallacy: Definition, Examples and Formal vs Informal Fallacies Read More »
My friend Gullible and I were having a discussion: Gullible: “I heard from Andrew Yang that universal income is the best solution to fight poverty.” Me: “Why do you believe that?” Gullible: “Yang is successful and famous, so he must be right.” This is a common informal fallacy called “The appeal to authority.” What Is …
“Be careful when you follow the masses. Sometimes the ‘M’ is silent.” -Anonymous (perhaps Unanimous) I had a conversation with my friend, Majority: Me: “Buying a house is not always the best investment.” Majority: “Most people want to buy a house, so it must be the best investment. It’s just common knowledge.” This is an …
Appeal to Popularity: Don’t Jump on the Bandwagon Read More »
I had a disagreement with my boss. He insisted that we should move forward on a project his way instead of mine. To make his case, he began criticizing me. When I called him out for a personal attack instead of my position, he was tongue-tied. He didn’t even realize his argument was commiting a …
I had a conversation the other day with my friend, Hasty: Me: “Canada has a good public health system: they provide care to 100% of their population.” Hasty: “The Canadian healthcare system sucks! One of my friends from Canada goes to the United States for every medical procedure he needs; otherwise, he’d have to wait …
Hasty Generalization: Definition, Examples, and How to Avoid It Read More »
Many people formed their first impression of Kamala Harris during the democratic primary debate. She argued that when Biden was a Senator he voted for a bill that opposed bussing. There was a little girl in California, she said, who was bussed to school every day. “That little girl,” she said, “was me.” Many people …
Straw Man: Definition, Examples, and How to Disarm It Read More »