Logical Fallacies - The Red Herring

The story is told that when training dogs to follow a scent, a red herring (cured fish) with its pungent smell is used to distract the dogs; and they need to learn to ignore the odor.  Similarly in logic, one trap to fall into is to be distracted by a tangential argument that misses the point of the case being made.

Being in love with my wife

In Baroness Orczy's Scarlet Pimpernel, the title character's alter ego, Percy, had just watched his wife leave after a difficult discussion.  He is described as "a strong man, overwhelmed with his own passion and his own despair. Pride had given way at last, obstinacy was gone: the will was powerless. He was but a man madly, blindly, passionately in love, and as soon as her light footsteps had died away within the house, he knelt down upon the terrace steps, and in the very madness of his love he kissed one by one the places where her small foot had trodden, and the stone balustrade there, where her tiny hand had rested last."

When I first read that passage, I thought it utterly ridiculous.

The Lazy Daydreamer

I’m not naturally good at finishing tasks.  So I often feel really guilty about it.

Logical Fallacies - Equivocation

Equivocation is a logical fallacy created by a misuse of language.  When you change the definition of a word mid-argument, that's equivocation.

Eliminating Opportunity Cost

In two previous blog posts, I mentioned disagreeing with a leader who thought all maladies would be gone if we had enough faith, and that mortal life is filled with opportunity costs.  Well, those two subjects, faith and opportunity cost, are actually related.  Let me explain.

Logical Fallacies - Limited Choice

While watching the presidential debates, my wife enjoyed tearing apart all the arguments made by both candidates, as almost everything each one said used logical fallacies to prove their points.  In discussions about orientation, both sides of the argument are also prone to use logical fallacies, so I thought it would be useful to list some of them here and how they are used as inappropriate arguments.

This first post will discuss the "limited choice" fallacy.  When someone artificially limits the options of a choice (usually to just two options) then they are falling into a limited choice fallacy.

Opportunity Cost

Most people have heard of the idea of opportunity costs from economics.  It's fundamentally a part of our finite mortal existence that we have limited resources, and we have to make choices as to how to use them.

Having Enough Faith

When I was much younger, I had a teacher in church claim that if we had enough faith, there would be no physical ailments in the world.  If people had enough faith, they could all be healed, and nobody would be sick or injured.

What?!?

Gay Scouters

Okay, I was never a very good boy scout.  I didn't ever have the focus and drive to actually complete things like merit badges.  I would usually do most or all the requirements but fail to get the signatures or other paperwork done.  I never disliked camping, tying knots, building fires, etc.  But I was never even close to getting my eagle.  However, secretly, I was not worthy to be a scout, I guess.

Math Tests Are Unfair

One of the most important doctrines that distinguishes Mormons from most other Christian religions is the idea that life is designed to be a test.  In the Pearl of Great Price, Abraham is taught about the decision to create the world.  "We will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; and we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them."  (Abraham 3:24-25)  This presupposes that we existed as spirits before birth and will continue to exist after we die.  In that context, life is not inteded to be fair.

Fear

"What are you most afraid of?"  This question has been circulating around my house lately.  While one of my biggest fears is the fear of being misunderstood, I don't think this particular fear has much to do with my orientation.  However, I do have a fear that I won't measure up.  It's a fear that played out in my youth in interesting ways.

Unusual Kid part 4

I often felt very out of place among my family members, both immediate and extended.  Okay, I realize that this is rather ordinary.  I'm sure most people feel that way some of the time.  But I always felt as if I were the oddball of the family.  I also felt like I didn't fit in with the kids in school, or the kids at church, or anywhere, really.  Again, this is not that uncommon, especially among closeted gay kids.  What is probably more unusual is that I revelled in that position.  I loved being different.  I didn't want to conform.