“Whataboutism”
But They’re Doing It.
What is Whataboutism?
Providing examples of others who do the same or worse to validate ones own position.
Business Application
Invalidating a claim by citing examples of hypocrisy is designed to cloud the facts or avoid responsibility. An effective way to combat this fallacy is to elaborate on both claims. In the example below, ‘Would John not improve if he started focusing on saying the right things to prospects? Does his issues with his presentation make your issues any less important?’
Example
Position -“You have to stop making statements as if they’re questions. It makes you seem less confident in your presentation.“
Fallacy -What about John? I hear him constantly saying the wrong things to prospects.
Why This is a Fallacy
The point made here is attempting to distract from the feedback provided. Since John’s behavior could be considered just as bad or worse, the employee attempts to lighten their responsibility of improving their presentation.
