The [red herring] fallacy

The Diversion Tactic: The "red herring" fallacy is an argumentative diversion tactic.

It involves introducing an irrelevant topic into an argument to draw attention away from the original, often difficult-to-defend point.

The name comes from the ancient practice of using a smoked, strong-smelling herring to distract hunting dogs from its scent.

Examples in Politics and Business: This fallacy is extremely common in political debates and corporate communications.

Imagine a politician who is asked about rising unemployment.

Instead of directly addressing the issue, they might respond, "What really matters is the unity of our country and the strength of our values.

We should be proud of our nation."

You have introduced an emotionally resonant but completely irrelevant topic to draw attention away from the uncomfortable question.

From the same Similarly, a CEO who is challenged about poor quarterly results might start talking excitedly about innovative plans for the coming year.

The Psychological Mechanism

The red herring works because it appeals to our emotions or introduces a topic that is more interesting or easier to discuss than the original.

Once attention has wandered, it is difficult to return to the starting point.

How to Neutralize the Red Herring: To avoid falling into this trap, the key is to maintain focus on the original topic.

The way to do this assertively but respectfully is