Think better, and know the pitfalls of human thought.
The human brain is incredible, though much of its great successes are the result of shortcuts rather than herculean effort. Because of this, there are many ways the human mind can be tricked or take shortcuts which distort reality in the process.
Classical Fallacies: Ad Hominem - Attacking character instead of argument Straw Man - Misrepresenting the other’s argument to make it weaker 1Appeal to Authority - Using an authority figure as proof Appeal to Ignorance - Arguing something is true because it hasn’t been proven false False dilemma - Presenting only 2 options when more options exist Circular Reasoning - The conclusion is assumed in the premise
Cognitive Biases: Fundamental Attribution Error
A Razor is a tool that helps you decide, to make cuts and simplify. The story razor Occam’s razor
Footnotes
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An appeal to authority is only fallacious when the authority cited lacks relevant expertise or when their claim substitutes for evidence rather than supporting it. Invoking a qualified expert in a relevant domain can be persuasive, but it is not itself proof. ↩