How to Coach Yourself and Others Beware of Manipulation | Page 58

The fallacy of “proving” a claim by overwhelming an audience with mountains of irrelevant facts,
numbers, documents, graphs and statistics that they cannot be expected to understand. This is a
corrupted argument from logos. See also, "Lying with Statistics."
Misleading vividness
Involves describing an occurrence in vivid detail, even if it is an exceptional occurrence, to convince
someone that it is a problem.
Overwhelming exception
An accurate generalization that comes with qualifications which eliminate so many cases that what
remains is much less impressive than the initial statement might have led one to assume.
Other fallacies
Pathetic fallacy
When an inanimate object is declared to have characteristics of animate objects.
Thought-terminating cliché
A commonly used phrase, sometimes passing as folk wisdom, used to quell cognitive dissonance,
conceal lack of thought-entertainment, move onto other topics etc. but in any case, end the debate with
a cliché—not a point.
Red herring fallacy
A red herring fallacy is an error in logic where a proposition is, or is intended to be, misleading in
order to make irrelevant or false inferences. In the general case any logical inference based on fake
arguments, intended to replace the lack of real arguments or to replace implicitly the subject of the
discussion. The argument given in response to another argument is irrelevant, but the speaker believes
it will be easier to speak to and will draw the attention away from the subject of argument. Usually the
false argument used wil l be an emotionally loaded issue. E.g., "In regard to my recent indictment for
corruption, let’s talk about what’s really important instead: terrorists are out there, and if we don't stop
them we're all gonna die!"
Poisoning the well (also “personal attack” or “Ad hominem”: attacking the arguer instead of the
argument.)
The fallacy of attempting to refute an argument by attacking the opposition’s personal character or
reputation, using a corrupted negative argument from ethos. A type of ad hominem argument, where
adverse information about a target is presented with the intention of discrediting everything that the
target person says. E.g., "He's so evil that you can't believe anything he says." See also Guilt by
Association. Also applies to cases where potential opposing arguments are brushed aside without
comment or consideration, as simply not worth arguing about.
Abusive fallacy
A subtype of "ad hominem" when it turns into name-calling rather than arguing about the originally
proposed argument.
Argumentum ad baculam (appeal to the stick, appeal to force, appeal to threat, argument from the club)
An argument made through coercion or threats of force to support position. The fallacy of "persuasion"
by a, violence, or threats. E.g., "Gimme your money, or I'll knock your head off!" or "We have the
perfect right to take your land, since we have the guns and you don't." Also applies to indirect forms of
threat. E.g., "Believe in our religion if you don't want to burn in hell forever and ever!"
Argumentum ad populum (argument from common sense, appeal to widespread belief, bandwagon
argument, appeal to the majority, appeal to the people)

57