1. False dilemma 2. Circular reasoning 3. Tu quoque 4. Ad hominem 5. Sunk cost
Recognizing them is a competitive advantage. Here's a short guide:
False dilemma:
An argument where only two choices are presented yet more exist.
Example:
Would you rather hate your job for the rest of your life or follow your passion?
Circular argument:
Starting from an assumption and using it as a means to justify the conclusion.
Example:
Aliens exist, but we haven't found them because their tech is so advanced.
Tu quoque:
Latin for you too. Distraction by pointing out the hypocrisy in the opponent.
Example:
Yes, we collect some user data, but so does our competitors.
Ad hominem:
Engaging in personal attacks rather than addressing the argument.
Example:
Calling someone names. "An ad hominem attack is highly flattering. It indicates that the person does not have anything intelligent to say about your message." — @nntaleb
Sunk cost:
The general tendency for people to continue an endeavor, because they’ve invested a ton in it.
Example:
Sticking with the wrong person or idea just because you've invested a lot of time and emotions. It's true for individuals and businesses alike.
We should have classes dedicated to reasoning and critical thinking in school.
I'd have loved them for one. Still, that's no excuse to not learn these things now.
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You can go to business school, spend two more years of your life, spending $100K or so in bills, or you can just listen to Steve Jobs.
I’ve read his biography every year for the last 10 years.
Here's what I learned about startup, marketing, creativity, career, life, and more:
Customers don’t know what they want until you show it to them.
When Jobs unveiled the Macintosh, a reporter asked him what type of market research he had done. Jobs replied: “Did Alexander Graham Bell do any market research before he invented the telephone?”
Think different.
Turkish Coffee? So Fucking What?
1/2
When someone in Turkey tried to explain to Jobs how Turkish coffee was made very different from anywhere else, Jobs thought, “So fucking what?”
"Who in Turkey even gave a shit about Turkish coffee?"