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- A red herring is a misleading statement, question, or argument meant to redirect a conversation away from its original topic. A red herring is not an actual species of fish.
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Jun 2, 2022 · A red herring is a misleading statement, question, or argument meant to redirect a conversation away from its original topic. Is a red herring a literary device? Red herrings can be used by writers to keep their readers in suspense or surprise them with an unexpected outcome.
- Lindsay Kramer
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- Diet Pills. "These diet pills didn't work because you didn't exercise enough," even though the advertisement claimed no exercise was needed. This is a red herring argument because the focus shifts from the inefficacy of the pills to your lack of exercise.
- Celebrity Endorsement in Politics. "Vote for her; she's a great person!" even though the discussion is about her political qualifications. This is a political red herring fallacy because the focus shifts from her political qualifications to her character.
- Homework Deadline. "You give us too much homework," when questioned about missing a specific deadline. While a common explanation, this is a red herring fallacy because it shifts the focus from the missed deadline to the amount of homework given.
- Poor Grades. "But I'm the star player on the basketball team," when asked about receiving a 'C' in a class. This is a red herring fallacy because the athletic achievement distracts from the academic performance.
Apr 5, 2023 · A red herring fallacy is a form of logical fallacy or reasoning error that occurs when a misleading argument or question is presented to distract from the main issue or argument at hand. Red herring refers to the piece of information that is used as a diversion.
A red herring is something that misleads or distracts from a relevant or important question. [1] It may be either a logical fallacy or a literary device that leads readers or audiences toward a false conclusion.
Apr 4, 2021 · In logic and rhetoric, a red herring is an observation that draws attention away from the central issue in an argument or discussion; an informal logical fallacy. It is also called a "decoy."
- Richard Nordquist
In an argument, the red herring fallacy is used to divert the discussion away from the topic at hand and onto a different, unrelated topic. This could be done as a way to avoid admitting one’s own mistakes or weaknesses, or to discredit the opponent’s argument.
Jun 27, 2024 · Red herrings are a type of informal logical fallacy in which attention is diverted from the main subject to confuse or mislead the audience. As a rhetorical strategy, red herrings are considered a fallacious, or poorly reasoned, form of argumentation, whether the red herring is introduced in error or with deceptive intent.