====== False Dichtomy Fallacy ======

By [[yiler-huang| Yiler Huang]]

The False Dichotomy fallacy is another common fallacy that can be seen in conversations. It depicts a situation where someone provides two extreme arguments that can both be true at the same time but tells you if one is true then the other one must be false. In other words, it forces you to choose between two extreme situations while there might be compromised options possible between these two options. 

I also display this fallacy from time to time. When things that I want to buy go on sale, I would sometimes think that if I don't buy them I'll never have the chance to buy them this cheap anymore and make a purchase without thinking too much. In reality, I ignored the possibilities such as the item would go on sale again, or there would be similar products that are even cheaper coming out. Another example I observed from others is: “You either eat your food on the plate, or they get wasted and the kids in Africa would starve.” In this statement, we can see that it doesn’t make much sense because whether or not you eat your food has very little to no impact on the African kids. 

This fallacy is commonly used in the advertising industry. Statements such as “If you don’t use our product, something bad will happen.” are often made in commercials. Falling into this fallacy might make you convinced by a false argument and feel threatened to do something or else something bad will happen. It is an important skill to identify these fallacies in life and learn to ignore or avoid them.