search

Gadarene Swine Fallacy

Description: The assumption that because an individual is not in formation with the group, that the individual must be the one off course. It is possible that the one who appears off course is the only one on the right course.

Logical Form:

Person X stands out from the group.

Therefore, person X is wrong.

Example #1:

Why can't your daughter fall in line like the other girls?

Explanation: The assumption here is that the "other girls" are doing the right thing. This needs to be established or demonstrated through reason and evidence.

Example #2:

Many people throughout history started revolutions by taking the morally right action when it was considered morally wrong or even illegal at the time. Consider Rosa Parks.

Exception: It is just as wrong to assume that the one is "out of formation" as it is to assume that all the rest must be "out of formation." While it might be statistically more probable that the one is out of formation, evidence should be sought before making any definitive claim.

Tip: Compare this to the Galileo fallacy . You will see that being the oddball neither makes you right nor wrong.

References:

Laing, R. D. (1990). The Politics of Experience and The Bird of Paradise. Penguin Books Limited.

Questions about this fallacy? Ask our community!

Uncomfortable Ideas: Facts don't care about feelings. Science isn't concerned about sensibilities. And reality couldn't care less about rage.

This is a book about uncomfortable ideas—the reasons we avoid them, the reasons we shouldn’t, and discussion of dozens of examples that might infuriate you, offend you, or at least make you uncomfortable.

Many of our ideas about the world are based more on feelings than facts, sensibilities than science, and rage than reality. We gravitate toward ideas that make us feel comfortable in areas such as religion, politics, philosophy, social justice, love and sex, humanity, and morality. We avoid ideas that make us feel uncomfortable. This avoidance is a largely unconscious process that affects our judgment and gets in the way of our ability to reach rational and reasonable conclusions. By understanding how our mind works in this area, we can start embracing uncomfortable ideas and be better informed, be more understanding of others, and make better decisions in all areas of life.

Get 20% off this book and all Bo's books*. Use the promotion code: websiteusers

* This is for the author's bookstore only. Applies to autographed hardcover, audiobook, and ebook.

Get the Book