Fallacies of Numbers and Statistics Appeal to Popularity (Numbers): This is the “everybody does it” fallacy so often used by school children, to which the wise parent invariably replies, “and if everybody jumped off a cliff, would you do that too?” Examples: “We have the best selling (fill in the blank) in America. (So you should buy one too.)” “So many people have seen the Loch Ness Monster – there must be something down there.” Hasty Generalization: This involves drawing a general conclusion on the basis of anecdotal evidence. (It is similar to post hoc, ergo propter hoc.) Examples: “I’ve never done well in my math classes. I just don’t … Continue reading Iztok Hozo