We’re all familiar with the usual pitfalls of irrational thinking such as the gambler’s fallacy, the sunk cost fallacy, circular reasoning, straw man arguments, etc. But here are some lesser-known logical fallacies that deserve our attention :


Closed Door Fallacy

A logical error wherein one begins with a clearly defined premise and methodically presents a series of consistent statements to arrive at a conclusion that no one wants to hear.


Appeal to Captivity

A logical error wherein one asserts that the truth of a proposition must be true because it has been confirmed by a team of scientists locked in one’s basement.


Ad Minimem Reasoning

An argumentative tactic which attempts to undermine an opponent’s position by attacking the moral shortcomings of the advertiser sponsoring the argument, while failing to recognize that the same advertiser is sponsoring one’s own argument and that we’re all just part of the same machine, brah.


False Dominion

The mistaken notion that the needs of one group outweigh the needs of another, simply because one group consists of your whining children and the other group consists of loyal, obedient Lego mini-figs.


Soiled Redundancy

A situation in which the speaker cedes a key position of their argument, and yet here we go again, back to the whole thing about the laundry piles.


Tanned Evidence

When presenting anecdotal evidence in support of an argument, the anecdotes are all about a recent trip to Barbados with Lawrence, when we all know Lawrence is bad news.


Masked Premise

An attempt to define a concept by breaking down and defining its constituent parts, while still wearing a Freddy Krueger mask from last Halloween.


Invasive Reasoning

An error in which one reaches a conclusion through a series of rational statements without acknowledging what appears to be a glowing craft of some sort, hovering just above the horizon.


The Haberdasher Fallacy

A misconception which occurs when one receives a compliment on one’s hat and answers, “What? This old thing?” except the old thing is not a hat, it’s grandma’s bra.


Whirlpool Reasoning

When a person believes just because no one is watching while loading the dishwasher, that it’s ok to place a plastic cup in the top rack, knowing full well that the top rack is where the fluorocarbons collect. Think, people! This battle will not be won without mental discipline!


Dungaree Fallacy

An attempt to communicate a free-thinking disregard for authority by wearing jeans to a formal debate, followed by the realization that one has forgotten to put them on.


The Janet Fallacy

A failure to acknowledge the complete lack of decorum around here and a subsequent failure to question why it’s so hard to engage in civilized discourse without all the shouting and carrying on from certain people. We won’t say who exactly, but we all know.


False Decoy

Making an argument based on the premise that anyone gives a flying duck.