logical fallacies + beginner's mind + double ignorance

strawman

misrepresenting someones argument to make it easier to attack.

false cause

presuming that a real or perceived relationship between things means that one is the cause of the other. ex: I wore my lucky socks, and we won the game; therefore, my socks caused us to win

slippery slope

asserting that if we allow A to happen, then Z will consequently happen too, therefore A should not happen. ex: If I skip the gym today, I’ll skip it tomorrow, then I’ll stop going entirely and gain 50 pounds

bandwagon

asking a question that has an assumption built into it so that if can’t be answered without appearing guilty. ex: if all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?

black-or-white

where two alternatives states are presented as the only possibilities, when the fact is more possibilities exist. ex: If you aren't constantly texting me, you must not love me.

appeal to authority

saying that because an authority thinks something. it must be true. ex:This famous actor says this diet pill works, so it must be effective

ad hominem

attacking your opponent’s character or personal traits in an attempt to undermine their argument. ex: Of course you believe lowering taxes is good; you're just a greedy, selfish person

anecdotal

using personal experience or an isolated example instead of a valid argument, especially to dismiss statistics. ex: I didn't get vaccinated and I turned out fine, so vaccines are unnecessary

appeal to emotion

manipulating an emotional response in place of a valid or compelling argument. ex: For the price of a cup of coffee, you can feed a child for a day. How can you refuse to help?

personal incredulity

saying that because one finds something difficult to understand, it’s therefore not true. ex: I don't understand how quantum mechanics works, so it cannot be true

double ignorance

you don’t know that you don’t know

beginners mind

the practice of approaching situations with openness, curiosity, and a lack of preconceptions, even when one is an expert