Logical Fallacies in Business

Flawed logic can kill a business. Look out for these fallacies in your next meeting and be more persuasive.

Logical Fallacies

Hand-Waving

‘Brushing off’ contradictory evidence as if it is irrelevant.

Logical Fallacies

Moving the Goalposts

Changing criteria or definitions to create an unfair advantage or disadvantage.

Logical Fallacies

Argument ad Baculum

Threatening, coercing, or bribing to win an argument.

Logical Fallacies

Slothful Induction

Refusing to accept or believe a likely conclusion despite strong supporting evidence.

Logical Fallacies

Special Pleading

To plea for an exception to a general rule.

Logical Fallacies

False Dilemma

When options are oversimplified or presented as the only ones available.

Logical Fallacies

Argument from Ignorance

Assuming something is true because it’s not proven false.

Logical Fallacies

Balance Fallacy

Making two concepts equal because they appear to be similar.

Logical Fallacies

Ad Hoc

Providing an unprovable argument to support an initially disputed claim.

Logical Fallacies

Appeal to Novelty

Claiming something to be better because it is newer or different.

Logical Fallacies

Enthymeme

Arriving at a conclusion without an established or spoken premise.

Logical Fallacies

Affirming a Disjunct

When considering two alternative outcomes, do not assume that if one occurs, the other is certain.

Logical Fallacies

Appeal to Tradition

Assuming that a method or idea is superior because it remained popular or successful over time.

Logical Fallacies

Denying the Antecedent

If a premise implies a result but the premise does not happen, do not assume the result cannot still happen.

Logical Fallacies

Post hoc, ergo propter hoc

Assuming that because something happened first, it caused whatever happened next.

Logical Fallacies

Relative Privation

Justifying something bad because worse things exist by comparison.

Logical Fallacies

Distinction Without a Difference

Focusing on the use of one term over another when they both define the same concept.

Logical Fallacies

Loaded Language

Using language where an assumption is built-in to guide a desired answer.

Logical Fallacies

Syntactic Ambiguity

When a sentence has multiple interpretations.

Logical Fallacies

Circular Reasoning

Creating an explanation that only supports a claim because it supports the claim.

Logical Fallacies

Argument by Assertion

Wearing a perception down through repetition.

Logical Fallacies

Appeal to Money

The assumption that because someone is rich, their insights are more valid.

Logical Fallacies

Appeal to Gravity

The assumption that only people who take things very seriously can make accurate or valid points.

Logical Fallacies

Appeal to Flattery

Using compliments and praises in order to cloud judgement.

Logical Fallacies

Appeal to Fear

Applying fear tactics in order to scare people away or drive them toward an ideal.

Logical Fallacies

Argument from Consequences

Ignoring the truth if the consequence of its validity means a negative outcome.

Logical Fallacies

Appeal to Emotion

Appealing to decisions based on the personal emotional consequences rather than logical ones.

Logical Fallacies

Wrong Direction Fallacy

Mistaking an effect for a cause.

Logical Fallacies

Gambler's Fallacy

Assuming the probability of an outcome is affected by previous outcomes.

Logical Fallacies

Willful Ignorance

Denying the truth by ignoring its existence.

Logical Fallacies

Illusory Correlation

Assuming that because two things are changing at the same time, one is causing the change of the other.

Logical Fallacies

Argument from Silence

Reading into silence as meaningful.

Logical Fallacies

Toupee Fallacy

You do not know what you don't know. A well designed trick will make you none-the-wiser to its existence.

Logical Fallacies

Argument from Incredulity

Assuming something cannot be true because you cannot understand how it would be possible.

Logical Fallacies

Scapegoat

Shifting blame to another in order to absolve oneself of responsibility.

Logical Fallacies

Whataboutism

Providing examples of others who do the same or worse to validate one's own position.

Logical Fallacies

Tu Quoque

Accusing the person who makes a claim to be hypocritical to invalidate their claim.

Logical Fallacies

Blaming the Victim

Suggesting that a victim is somehow responsible for an offense made against them.

Logical Fallacies

Damning with Faint Praise

Using language that seems complimentary but is actually insulting when examined closely.

Logical Fallacies

Poisoning the Well

Preemptively discrediting an opponent in order to reduce the credibility of their arguments.

Logical Fallacies

Fallacy of Opposition

Believing you are correct because you wouldn’t believe something that is incorrect.

Logical Fallacies

Genetic Fallacy

Accepting or rejecting a claim because of its origin.

Logical Fallacies

Affirming a Consequent

If a premise implies a result, do not mistake the result for validating the premise.

Logical Fallacies

Association Fallacy

Assuming the qualities or traits of a subject because of its associations.

Logical Fallacies

Ad Iram

Dismissing someone’s argument because it is presented with strong emotion.

Logical Fallacies

Ad Hominem

Directing an argument or conclusion against a person’s character instead of their idea or arguments.

Logical Fallacies

Perfect Solution Fallacy

Dismissing a valid solution because it does not solve 100% of existing problems.

Logical Fallacies

No True Scotsman

Examples are dismissed as not truly part of the original referenced group.

Logical Fallacies

Massive List of 49 Logical Fallacies in Business

A logical fallacy is a way to convince someone without using real logic. In business, fallacies are used to dupe, exploit, or gain the upper hand in debate. Learn all the tricks and be a better professional!

Ad hoc — Ad Hoc
Providing an unprovable argument to support an initially disputed claim.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Ad hominem — Ad Hominem
Directing an argument or conclusion against a person’s character instead of their idea or arguments.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Ad iram — Ad Iram
Dismissing someone’s argument because it is presented with strong emotion.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Affirming the consequent — Affirming a Consequent
If a premise implies a result, do not mistake the result for validating the premise.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Affirming a disjunct — Affirming a Disjunct
When considering two alternative outcomes, do not assume that if one occurs, the other is certain.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Appeal to confidence — Appeal to Confidence

June 14, 2017/by Tom Waters

Appeal to emotion — Appeal to Emotion
Appealing to decisions based on the personal emotional consequences rather than logical ones.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Appeal to fear — Appeal to Fear
Applying fear tactics in order to scare people away or drive them toward an ideal.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Appeal to flattery — Appeal to Flattery
Using compliments and praises in order to cloud judgement.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Appeal to gravity — Appeal to Gravity
The assumption that only people who take things very seriously can make accurate or valid points.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Appeal to money — Appeal to Money
The assumption that because someone is rich, their insights are more valid.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Appeal to novelty — Appeal to Novelty
Claiming something to be better because it is newer or different.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Appeal to tradition — Appeal to Tradition
Assuming that a method or idea is superior because it remained popular or successful over time.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Argumentum ad baculum — Argument ad Baculum
Threatening, coercing, or bribing to win an argument.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Argument by assertion — Argument by Assertion
Wearing a perception down through repetition.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Argument from consequences — Argument from Consequences
Ignoring the truth if the consequence of its validity means a negative outcome.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Argument from Ignorance
Assuming something is true because it’s not proven false.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Argument from incredulity — Argument from Incredulity
Assuming something cannot be true because you cannot understand how it would be possible.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Argument from silence — Argument from Silence
Reading into silence as meaningful.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Association fallacy — Association Fallacy
Assuming the qualities or traits of a subject because of its associations.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Balance fallacy — Balance Fallacy
Making two concepts equal because they appear to be similar.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Blaming the victim — Blaming the Victim
Suggesting that a victim is somehow responsible for an offense made against them.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Circular reasoning — Circular Reasoning
Creating an explanation that only supports a claim because it supports the claim.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Damning with faint praise — Damning with Faint Praise
Using language that seems complimentary but is actually insulting when examined closely.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Denying the antecedent — Denying the Antecedent
If a premise implies a result but the premise does not happen, do not assume the result cannot still happen.
June 18, 2017/by Tom Waters

Flawed logic can kill a business. Look out for these fallacies in your next meeting and be more persuasive.

Massive List of 49 Logical Fallacies in Business

Ad Hoc

Ad Hominem

Ad Iram

Affirming a Consequent

Affirming a Disjunct

Appeal to Confidence

Appeal to Emotion

Appeal to Fear

Appeal to Flattery

Appeal to Gravity

Appeal to Money

Appeal to Novelty

Appeal to Tradition

Argument ad Baculum

Argument by Assertion

Argument from Consequences

Argument from Ignorance

Argument from Incredulity

Argument from Silence

Association Fallacy

Balance Fallacy

Blaming the Victim

Circular Reasoning

Damning with Faint Praise

Denying the Antecedent

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