Hey what’s up guys! You ready to get a little harder to fool?
First, let’s do a quick review of one of the fallacies we’ve already covered: the Loaded Question. Loaded Question is also sometimes called “the question behind the question”. The loaded question happens when someone asks a question, but there’s another question hidden in it that you basically have to agree with in order to answer the question.
In order to recognize a Loaded Question, you have to first be able to see the hidden question. To help you do that, ask yourself this: “Is this question assuming something else is also true? Is that other thing really true?”
If you want to hear more about this fallacy, check out Episode 15.
Ok, our new fallacy for today is called the Appeal to Tradition. When someone makes an appeal to tradition, they’re saying that something is better or more desirable because that’s how it used to be done in the past, or because that’s how we’ve always done it.
For example, if you hear an ad that says, “The way Grandma always did it.” you’ll know they’re making an appeal to tradition. They’re saying that this thing is better because it’s how your Grandma used to do it.
Or how about this one: “Here a XYZ school, we have a strong history of underwater basketweaving…” (obviously, I made that one up), but you get the point…it’s saying that our school is superior in this way simply because we have a long history of doing this a certain way.
If someone ever says, “because that’s how we’ve always done it” or “if it ain’t broke, stop trying to fix it”, you’re hearing Appeals to Tradition.
Here’s the thing: Just because something is old, or just because something has always been done a certain way…that doesn’t mean it’s desirable. It doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do things! Could it mean that? Sure, there are some great traditions that are time-tested, but we need to be able to prove that they’re actually better, not just say they’re better because they’re old.
Ok, so Grandpa used to walk to school uphill both ways in waist-deep snow when he was a kid…does that mean that’s better than riding in a car to school? And just because Grandpa used to use an outhouse, does that mean it’s better than indoor plumbing? Ok, so those are appeals to tradition that I wouldn’t want to go back to! And I could also make a list of traditions that are wonderful and I’d absolutely want to keep.
So, to help you sift through an Appeal to Tradition, ask yourself: “Is it really true that it’s better just because it’s old?”… *repeat*
Alright, that was a quick episode! Tomorrow I’ll be talking about the reverse of this fallacy, the Appeal to High Tech.
Remember: When you learn HOW to think, you will no longer fall prey to those who are trying to tell you what THEY want you to think and it all starts with asking one simple question: “Is that really true?”
