How to stop arguing like an idiot
This week I intended on sending you something I wrote about dealing with shame. But after toiling and struggling with the article, I realised that my argument was fundamentally flawed. So, I had to start from scratch. I almost opted not to send a letter, but as Freddy Mercury sang, “The show must go on!”
Considering that my predicament was due to a poorly constructed argument, today’s edition is about logical fallacies.
Here’s a look at a few logical fallacies that are worth remembering.
False dilemma
Presenting an argument as two overly simplified and extreme options, when many more options exist. It’s an effective tool for polarising an audience by offering the one idea as linked to good and the other to bad, ignoring opportunities for compromise.
Example 1: “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.”(George W. Bush, 2001)
Example 2: “Would you rather be stuck in your boring job forever or pursue your passion?”
Ad hominem
Undermining a person’s argument by attacking their character or personal traits and not the argument itself.
Example 1: Joe: “I’ve read that following a vegetarian diet is good for your cholesterol”. Jane: “Of course you would say that Joe, you’re a dirty and lazy hippie.”
Example 2:
Straw man
To misrepresent or oversimplify an opponent’s argument to make it easier to attack. This leaves the opponent defending a hollow argument (straw man) they never argued in the first place. It usually follows this construct:
Joe makes argument A
Jane creates a distorted version of A, putting forward irrelevant argument B
Jane gets Joe to argue about B instead of A
Jane wins argument B, appearing to win argument A
Example 1: Joe: “I don’t think we can afford a minimum wage increase.” Jane: “So you hate the poor?!”
Example 2: Joe: “I don’t support the death penalty.” Jane: “Joe thinks that the lives of murderers are more important than the lives of their victims.”
Red herring
Introducing a different argument or subject to divert from the key issue.
Example 1: Worker: "It's really hard to make a living on my salary." Boss: "Consider yourself lucky, 20 years ago salaries were terrible."
Example 2:
Slippery slope
Arguing that if A happens, it will trigger an inevitable series of events that leads to radical outcome Z. This avoids engaging with the issue at hand and instead shifts attention to extreme hypotheticals.
Example: “You should never be late. If you are late once by 5 minutes, next time you’ll be late by an hour, and eventually, you won’t show up at all.”
Example 2: “If we provide free healthcare, then in no time people will be asking for free cars, free cell phones and free food.”
I hope these help you call out the bullshit during your next debate or argument.
Want to learn more?
Check out this list of 20 common logical fallacies or the short video below that highlights the logical fallacies used by both Donald Trump and Joe Biden during the shambolic November 2020 debate.
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