How to Coach Yourself and Others Beware of Manipulation | Page 63

Manipulators who use this argument conveniently forget that many people walk carefully on slippery
ground and don’t fall down.
Source: Richard Paul and Linda Elder, “The thinker’s guide to fallacies”, “The art of mental trickery”
Transfer:
A corrupt argument from ethos, falsely associating a famous person or thing with an unrelated
standpoint (e.g. putting a picture of George Washington on an advertisement for mattresses or using
Genghis Khan (a Mongol) as the name of a Chinese restaurant, or using the Texas flag to sell cars or
pickups that were made in Detroit, Kansas City or Kyoto).
Testimonial (also Questionable Authority, Faulty Use of Authority)
A fallacy in which support for a standpoint or product is provided by a well-known or respected figure
(e.g. a star athlete or entertainer) who is not an expert and who was probably well paid for the
endorsement (e.g., “Olympic gold-medal pole-vaulter Fulano de Tal uses Quick Flush Internetshouldn’t you?"). Also includes other false, meaningless or paid means of associating oneself or one’s
product with the ethos of a famous person or event (e.g. “Try Salsa Cabria, the official taco sauce of
the Vancouver Winter Olympics!”) This is a corrupted argument from ethos.
They're Not Like Us
A badly corrupted, bigoted argument from ethos where a fact, argument or objection is arbitrarily
disregarded, ignored or put down without consideration because those involved "are not like us," or
"don't think like us." E.g., "It's OK for Mexicans to earn half a buck an hour in the maquiladoras. If it
were here, I'd call it exploitation and daylight robbery, but south of the border they're not the same as
we are." Or, "Sure, the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima killed hundreds of thousands of innocent
people, but over there they're not like us and don't think the same way we do about life and death." A
variety of the Ad Hominem Argument, most often applied to non-White populations.
TINA (There Is No Alternative. Also "Get Over It," the "fait accompli").
A very common contemporary extension of the either/or fallacy, quashing critical thought by
announcing that there is no realistic alternative to a given standpoint, status or action, ruling any and all
other options irrelevant, or announcing that a decision has been made and any further discussion is
simply a waste of time (or even insubordination or disloyalty) when there is a job to be done. (See also,
"Taboo.")
Taboo
The fallacy of unilaterally declaring certain arguments, standpoints or actions to be "sacrosanct" or not
open to discussion or arbitrarily taking some standpoints or options "off the table" beforehand. (E.g.,
"Don't bring my drinking into this," or "Before we start, I won't allow you to put my arguments down
by saying 'That's just what Hitler would say!'")
Blind Loyalty (also Blind Obedience, the "Team Player" appeal, or the Nuremberg Defense).
The dangerous fallacy that an argument or action is right simply and solely because a respected leader
or source (an expert, parents, one's own "side," team or country, one’s boss or commanding officers)
say it is right. This is over-reliance on authority, a corrupted argument from ethos that puts loyalty
above truth or above one's own reason and conscience. In this case, a person attempts to justify
incorrect, stupid or criminal behavior by whining "That's what I was told to do," or “I was just
following orders."
Blood is Thicker than Water (also Favoritism, Compadrismo, "For my friends, anything.").
The reverse of the "Ad Hominem" fallacy, a corrupt argument from ethos where a statement, argument
or action is automatically regarded as true, correct and above challenge because one is related to (or
knows and likes, or is on the same team as) the individual involved. (E.g., "My brother-in-law says he
saw you goofing off on the job. You're a hard worker, but who am I going to believe, you or him?
You're fired!")

62