When we talk about logical fallacies, there's a "canonical" set of fallacies we spend most of our time on. But are these the same fallacies that occur most often in real life? Are there any kinds of fallacies that you see in your day to day life that doesn't get talked about much?
I believe that by far the most common is the argument from vehement assertion. Seriously, most people don't properly argue at all, they just state their opinions at each other. Then they state them again more loudly. Then they struggle to find another way to state their opinion so that other people can correctly understand it (because if they disagree, surely they've misunderstood).
Then there's the hasty generalization.
I also think the sunk-cost fallacy gets short shrift. I believe in completely finishing the food I pay for, even if I don't want any more, but this is almost certainly irrational.
What do you think?
Monday, January 14, 2013
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