Logical fallacies are like when someone uses tricks to make you believe something that isn’t really true.
Imagine you’re playing a game where your friend tries to convince you that the red ball is bigger than the blue one, even though they're the same size. Your friend might say, “Look how shiny it is!”, but that doesn’t mean it’s bigger. That's a logical fallacy because your friend used a trick (the shine) instead of real proof.
Why People Use Fallacies
Sometimes people use fallacies because they don’t know the real answer or want to win an argument. It’s like when you say, “You can't be tired, I’m still going!” even though both of you are actually tired. That's a logical fallacy too.
How You Can Spot Them
When someone uses a trick instead of facts, that’s a fallacy. You can spot them by asking: “Is this really true, or is there just something making it look that way?” Just like you might check both balls to see which one is truly bigger.
Fallacies are everywhere, in games, on TV, and even at school! Once you know what to look for, you’ll start seeing them all the time.
Examples
- A teacher says, 'All dogs are friendly, my dog is friendly, so all dogs must be friendly.' This is a logical fallacy because one example doesn’t prove everything.
Ask a question
See also
- What is fallacy?
- How Does Intro to Logic Part 2: Premises vs Conclusions Work?
- How Does The Fallacy Fallacy | Idea Channel | PBS Digital Studios Work?
- How Does The 7 Building Blocks of Effective Arguments Work?
- What Is a Cogent Argument?