Logical Fallacies

Have you ever argued with someone, who could never make a good point? I hate when someones only reasoning is "Well you're annoying so..." or "Wow you are so stupid to think that." You know that it's not fair or right, but there is nothing you can really say back to that. Well, there is a word for this kind of reasoning. A logical fallacy. (In this case the fallacy is personal attack)



A logical fallacy is a flaw in reasoning. Fallacies are almost like reasoning cheats, sometimes they work but they aren't quite right. Fallacies are usually used in arguments or to convince someone to do something. These are used all the time in everyday life. You have probably used one yourself, whether you tried to or not. If you know what fallacies are and how they work, you will start to notice them in your life.

Fallacies are often used in advertising. Many times ads aren't really selling you their product. They might be selling you friends, appearance, or happiness. An ad will show someone using their product and smiling, and having fun with lots of friends. They are selling you more than just the product. This is the Appeal to Popularity Fallacy, showing you that popularity is associated with whatever they want you to buy.

This ad uses the  Hasty Generalization Fallacy by saying that 9/10 dentists recommend it. This is not a good estimate, they are showing you only 10 dentists of their choosing.

I think we use fallacies to help get around problems. If you don't have a good argument or answer it is easy to use these fallacies, even if they aren't legitimate reasons. They often work because not many people can spot them or know when they are being used.

Fallacies helped me realize that there are actually reasonings that "don't count". Fallacies are not real points. But, even if they don't always make sense, they are easy to use and usually pretty effective. Keep your eye out for tricky fallacies and you will have an advantage in your next battle of reason.


The Appeal to Flattery Fallacy.