<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">In marketing and sales, it is crucial to focus on the benefits that appeal to customers' core human drives rather than the features of a product.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Features are facts or attributes of a product (e.g., This candle is made from 100% soy wax). </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Benefits are the positive outcomes or results that customers experience from using the product (e.g., This candle creates a clean, eco-friendly ambiance in your home).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Customers are primarily motivated by benefits, as they address core human desires and needs.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Many entrepreneurs confuse the two or outline only the features in their product pitch.</li></ul>

Convey Product Benefits instead of Product Features

A famous example of features vs. benefits is that of Steve Jobs when he launched the iPod. Instead of stating that it has “5GB storage”, he described the iPod as “a device to carry 1,000 songs in your pocket”

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Before making a purchase, individuals imagine what their life is going to look like if they go ahead with their purchase.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">For example, if you are looking to buy a car, you may visualize driving it daily, impressing neighbours, etc. If you are signing up for a gym membership, you will visualize how the you will get more fit in few week's time.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Marketers utilize storytelling in to engage the brain, helping customers create positive future scenarios that excite and motivate them.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Or even better, by encouraging customers to experience the product firsthand (e.g. car test drive or trial week at gym).</li></ul>

Buyer Psychology: Simulating the Future Value of a Purchase

Two marketing lessons from Josh Kaufman, the author of The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business.

WARNING: this episode will teach you everything you would learn in a business degree, saving you $200,000 and 10,000 hours Josh Kaufman is a renowned business expert and the author of the international best-selling book, ‘The Personal MBA’ which has sold over 900,000 copies worldwide. He is also the author of books such as, ‘The First 20 Hours’, and ‘How to Fight a Hydra’.In this conversation, Josh and Steven discuss topics such as, the 5 laws of business, how to turn $100 into $10k, the psychological tactics of millionaires, and how to make money in your sleep. 00:00 Intro02:00 Why Did You Write The Personal MBA 04:32 What Is An MBA? 10:30 Should You Do A MBA?14:19 How Difficult Is Starting And Running A Business? 16:57 First Steps To Setting Up A Business 19:29 Loads Of Business Are Finding Problems To Solve 27:49 How To Give Value To The End Consumer 35:47 How Do You Find Out If Your Idea Is Good? 39:11 This Is The Wrong Approach When Starting A Business 40:49 Why Should You Start With Value? 42:35 How To Market 44:04 Psychology & Marketing 46:06 Creating A Drive In The Marketing Strategy 48:23 Think Different 50:52 Be Brave To Do Something Completely Different 58:39 How To Become A Good Marketer 01:00:31 The Sales Piece In Any Business 01:04:38 Customer Service Matters 01:06:09 The Sales Framework 01:13:06 How Important Is Hiring? 01:14:50 What Role Does Competition Play? 01:19:09 Let's Talk Money 01:24:17 What Numbers Should I Pay Attention To? 01:26:35 Experimenting 01:34:55 Every Complex System Starts In A Simple Way 01:39:06 Mastering A Job 01:43:54 Ten Major Principles To Learn Anything 01:55:24 Removing Any Friction In The Process 02:01:38 Last Guest Question﻿Follow Josh: Twitter - https://g2ul0.app.link/SznbYyhi9Kb YouTube: You can purchase Josh’s book, ‘How to Fight a Hydra’, here: https://amzn.to/4f1qJa4 Spotify: You can purchase Josh’s book, ‘How to Fight a Hydra’, here: https://g2ul0.app.link/igsXEtci9Kb Watch the episodes on Youtube - https://g2ul0.app.link/DOACEpisodes My new book! 'The 33 Laws Of Business & Life' is out now - https://g2ul0.app.link/DOACBook You can purchase the The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards: Second Edition, here: https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb Follow me:https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb Sponsors: Shopify: http://shopify.com/bartlettColgate - https://www.colgate.com/en-gb/colgate-totalVodafone V-Hub: https://www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/steven-bartlett-digital-sos?cid=dsp-ent/nprod/Stevenbartlett01/eng/7.24/ntst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Discover the world of business and economics.

economics

Economics

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

creativity

Creativity

podcasts

Podcasts

humanresources

Human Resources

A few years ago I was a broke, university dropout, living in a studio-flat in a rough area. At 18 I started a company which would eventually become "Social Chain" - an industry leading marketing company. At 26 the company was generating $600m a year in revenue. At 27 I resigned as CEO, and launched 'The Diary Of A CEO' podcast with the simple mission of un-filtering success and giving you the knowledge you need to create the life you want. Thank you for listening. My New Book: https://smarturl.it/D IG: https://www.instagram.com/steven LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenbartlett-123

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

Josh Kaufman: The Shocking Link Between MBA & Career Success! The Easy Hack To Making Money Whilst You Sleep!

DOAC: Steven Bartlett's Interview with Josh Kaufman - Author of The Personal MBA Book

I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned.

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool.

I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of certainty about different things, but I am not absolutely sure of anything.

Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts.

What I cannot create, I do not understand

The more you see how everything is interconnected, the more interesting it becomes.

I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.

Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent, and original manner possible.

You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.

Fall in love with some activity, and do it! Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn’t matter.

Feynman emphasized the importance of curiosity and questioning everything. He believed that the pursuit of knowledge begins with asking questions and challenging assumptions.

Embrace Curiosity & Questioning

Feynman advocated for the practice of teaching as a way to understand a subject deeply. He suggested that if you can’t explain something in simple terms, you don’t really understand it.

Learn Through Teaching

He encouraged people to find joy and wonder in the world around them. Feynman found beauty in the simplicity and complexity of nature and believed in maintaining a childlike sense of wonder throughout life

Cultivate a Sense of Wonder

Feynman stressed the importance of intellectual honesty and the ability to recognize and admit one’s own ignorance. He believed that self-deception was the greatest barrier to understanding.

Be Honest with Yourself

He advised focusing on what genuinely interests you, rather than what society deems prestigious. Feynman believed that true fulfilment comes from pursuing your passions, regardless of external validation.

Pursue Passion, Not Prestige

Richard Feynman, a brilliant physicist and captivating storyteller, left behind a treasure trove of wisdom. His quotes and advice illuminate the power of curiosity, honesty, and passion in a world full of questions and wonder.

writing

Reading & Writing

education

Learning & Education

problemsolving

Problem Solving

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

Richard Feynman: 15 Learnings from the Nobel Laureate 

Lospennato introduces the concept of the Da Vinci Curse, a term he uses to describe the struggle faced by polymaths or multi-talented individuals. These people have many interests and skills but often find it challenging to focus on one path. This curse is named after Leonardo da Vinci, who was a genius in many fields but struggled to complete projects. Lospennato’s book addresses how to manage this “curse” and harness it effectively.

The Da Vinci Curse

Instead of fighting against their diverse interests, Lospennato encourages individuals to embrace their multipotentiality. Accepting that having multiple talents is a gift rather than a hindrance allows people to see the possibilities rather than the limitations. This acceptance is the first step towards making the most out of one’s varied abilities and interests.

Embrace Your Multipotentiality

To counteract the scatterbrained tendencies that come with being multi-talented, Lospennato emphasizes the importance of prioritization and focus. He suggests creating a list of interests and ranking them based on passion and potential impact. This helps in deciding which projects to pursue first, ensuring that energy is spent on the most meaningful and rewarding endeavors.

Prioritise & Focus

Lospennato advises setting clear, achievable goals to channel the energy and enthusiasm of polymaths. By breaking down larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks, individuals can maintain momentum and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Clear goals also provide a sense of direction and accomplishment, which is crucial for staying motivated.

Set Clear Goals

Developing a master plan that outlines long-term goals and short-term objectives can help polymaths stay organized and focused. This plan should be flexible enough to accommodate new interests and opportunities but structured enough to provide a roadmap for success. A well-crafted master plan serves as a guide, helping individuals navigate their multifaceted paths.

Create a Master Plan

One of the biggest challenges for polymaths is the temptation to take on too many projects. Lospennato stresses the importance of learning to say no to new commitments that don’t align with your primary goals. By being selective about where to invest time and energy, individuals can avoid spreading themselves too thin and ensure that they make meaningful progress on their most important projects.

Learn to Say No

Lospennato highlights the value of cross-disciplinary skills and how they can be leveraged to create unique solutions and innovations. Polymaths often excel at connecting dots across different fields, leading to breakthroughs that specialists might miss. Embracing and utilizing these cross-disciplinary insights can be a powerful advantage in both personal and professional pursuits.

Leverage Cross-Disciplinary Skills

While it’s essential to follow one’s passions, Lospennato advises balancing passion with pragmatism. This means being realistic about the time, resources, and effort required to achieve goals. By setting practical expectations and being prepared for challenges, polymaths can pursue their interests sustainably and avoid burnout.

Balance Passion & Pragmatism

Having a support network of like-minded individuals and mentors can be incredibly beneficial for polymaths. Lospennato encourages seeking out others who understand the Da Vinci Curse and can offer guidance, encouragement, and accountability. A strong support network can provide valuable insights and help keep individuals motivated and focused.

Build a Support Network

Lospennato emphasizes the importance of embracing lifelong learning. For polymaths, the pursuit of knowledge and skill development is a continuous journey. By staying curious and open to new experiences, individuals can keep their minds sharp and continually evolve their abilities. This mindset helps maintain a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Embrace Lifelong Learning

Finally, Lospennato encourages celebrating small wins along the way. Recognizing and appreciating the progress made, no matter how minor, helps build confidence and motivation. Celebrating these achievements reinforces the positive aspects of being multi-talented and keeps individuals engaged and enthusiastic about their journey.

Celebrate Small Wins

These ideas from “The Da Vinci Curse” provide a comprehensive approach to managing and harnessing the potential of polymaths, helping them thrive in a world that often values specialization over versatility.

This book is for the person with many talents, multiple passions, contradictory interests, raging bursts of enthusiasm that seem to go away as fast as they came, and the feeling that she hasn't yet found what she's been looking for. Contrary to the standard advise, we cannot afford to do everything we want: most of it would be a loss of time, taking our focus away from the significant things in our lives. We would be dividing our time among so many activities that a point will come in which we are not doing anything, really -at least not seriously. We have to choose wisely and follow the one path we are called to. The rest are merely hobbies.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

books

Books

Leonardo Lospennato

A novel within a novel, where a mysterious storyteller weaves a tale of love, betrayal, and murder, blurring the lines between fact and fiction.

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

A surreal and dreamlike tale of a young boy trapped in a labyrinthine library, where the boundaries between reality and fantasy dissolve.

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

A psychological exploration of a man's obsession with a mysterious woman, where the truth is hidden behind layers of deception and desire.

The Woman in the Dunes by Kōbō Abe

A dark comedy that follows a hapless policeman's investigation into a murder, where the absurdity and humor mask a sinister truth.

The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien

A fantastical tale of the Devil's arrival in Soviet Moscow, told through multiple narrators, each with their own agenda and secrets.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Find more at '<a href="https://t.me/booksofthrill">Books of Thrill</a>' Telegram channel. <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Discuss fascinating storylines or engage in debates</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Share your thoughts on similar thrilling reads</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Discover more hidden literary gems</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Uncover the real-life inspirations for fictional thrills</li></ul>And much more.Don't miss a single post. Join a community of bookish thrill-seekers!

Intrigued by these literary thrills?

mentalhealth

Mental Health

entertainment

Entertainment

5 Books Where You Can't Trust the Narrator 

The best gift we can give our children is the ability to control their attention and choose their life.

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Autonomy: The ability to make uncoerced decisions.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Competence:  The ability to learn and improve.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Relatedness: The ability to relate meaningfully to others.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Nir Eyal calls these needs <a href="https://www.scienceofpeople.com/indistractable-kids-trouble-focusing/">Psychological Vitamins</a>. </li></ul>

Children need Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness to flourish

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Sadly, lots of youngsters aren’t getting autonomy, competence or relatedness things in their offline lives. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">At school, they are stifled by rules. At home, they bear the burden of their parents’ expectations and risk being labeled failures if they don’t do well at school which fail to stimulate their imaginations. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The online world becomes the only space they have to roam freely and interact with their friends independently. </li></ul>

Why children turn to the online world?

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Technology isn't inherently bad. It can be used to facilitate free play, which is crucial for children's development.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The author's daughter uses online tools like Zoom to play games with friends, allowing for social interaction and unstructured play even when physically apart.</li></ul>

1. Leverage Technology for Free Play

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Differentiate between content that promotes creation and content that leads to passive consumption.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Encourage children to use technology for activities that build skills and knowledge, such as educational games or creative projects, rather than just consuming media.</li></ul>

2. Filter for Creation rather than Consumption

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Unstructured play is essential for children's social and cognitive development.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Schedule regular playdates or free play sessions where children can interact with peers without the oversight of adults. This helps them learn social skills and develop independence.</li></ul>

3. Promote Unstructured Play

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Children learn by observing their parents. Model the behavior you want to see in your children.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Show your children how you manage distractions by setting your own timers and sticking to your schedules. This consistency helps reinforce the importance of being indistractable.</li></ul>

4. Model Indistractable Behavior

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Traction is the opposite of Distraction.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Help children understand the importance of scheduling and making time for activities.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Involve children in setting rules and parameters for screen time and other activities to foster a sense of autonomy and responsibility.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Instead of imposing strict limits, discuss and agree on reasonable screen time rules together. This collaborative approach helps children understand and respect the rules.</li></ul>

5. Make Time for Traction Together

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">A pact is a self-imposed rule that includes a consequence for breaking it.</li><li>Effort Pacts: Make distractions harder to access.: Keeping the phone in another room while studying.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Price Pacts: Attach a monetary or meaningful consequence.: If the child breaks the pact, they lose a privilege or have to do an extra chore.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Write Down the Pact: Document the pact and the consequences of breaking it.</li></ul>

6. Teach Children to Make Their Own Pacts

Practical advice for parents from the book "Indistractable" by Nir Eyal.

productivity

Productivity

parenting

Parenting

timemanagement

Time Management

Raising Indistractable Kids in an Increasingly Distracting World

Unravel the human psyche as you explore the dark and twisted thoughts of seemingly ordinary people. In this genre, reality blurs, secrets unfold, and the line between sanity and madness is perilously thin.

Psychological Thrillers - The Twisted Mind

Enter a world of espionage where covert operations, double agents, and high-stakes games of cat and mouse take center stage. Navigate through international intrigue, secret missions, and shadowy organizations. The tension is palpable as spies risk everything, operating in a landscape where trust is scarce and betrayal is always just around the corner.

Spy Thrillers - Danger in the Shadows

Experience the dark side of technological advancement where cutting-edge innovations become humanity's greatest threats. Rogue AI, cyberterrorism, and futuristic gadgets create a landscape fraught with danger. As technology spirals out of control, protagonists must race against time to prevent catastrophic consequences.

Techno-Thrillers - Technology Turns Deadly

Explore terrifying health crises where hospitals become battlegrounds and diseases turn into weapons. Whether it's a mysterious epidemic, a rogue scientist, or a lethal outbreak, the stakes are life and death.

Medical Thrillers - Lethal Diagnoses

Witness courtroom drama at its finest where legal battles unfold with high tension and dramatic twists. Lawyers navigate complex cases where a single verdict can mean life or death. Ethical quandaries, legal strategy, and the pursuit of justice drive the narrative, making for compelling and intense storytelling.

Legal Thrillers - Justice on a Knife's Edge

Uncover secrets behind closed doors where ordinary lives conceal extraordinary dangers. The greatest threats lie within the familiar and the safe, as personal relationships unravel and hidden truths come to light. Tension builds within households and communities, revealing that sometimes the most perilous situations are the ones closest to home.

Domestic Thrillers - Danger Hits Home

Confront environmental catastrophe where Mother Nature strikes back with a vengeance. Explore scenarios of ecological disaster, climate change, and human impact on the planet. Protagonists face natural and man-made threats, highlighting the urgent need for environmental awareness and action. As nature rebels, no one is safe from its wrath.

Eco-Thrillers - Nature's Revenge

7 Thriller Subgenres You Can't Afford to Miss

Stop innovating, start copying. No one is original, all have an inspiration to follow or copy from.

Internet is full of information. Start executing what you learn, read, or watch.

You can make money from the smallest skill or ability. If you're an overthinker, be a strategic thinker or work for top companies where your only job is to think and nothing else.

If you want to know your special talent or the thing you love doing, make a chart and mark the things you continuously do every day. Do this for 30 days and you'll see the thing that you spend most of your time.

Be a producer, not a consumer. Think of a way to produce the things you consume the most.

School taught us specific subjects, like maths and history. But we weren't taught: How to sell Or how to build relationships Or how to negotiate Or how to take care of our mental health Or how to network Or how to deal with personal finance These most important situations we face as adults were never discussed with us when we were students. We weren't taught these skills in school, and this makes all the success stories we hear about seem out of reach; it makes us feel dumb. We aren't dumb, we just don't know how to work the system. Your school taught you how to run in the race; it didn't teach you how to win. And that's what this book is for. To help you win the race. Packed with useful advice gleaned from his own journey as an entrepreneur and content creator, this book by Raj Shamani is a must-read.

Raj Shamani

Build, Don't Talk

You misrepresented someone's argument to make it easier to attack. By exaggerating, misrepresenting, or just completely fabricating someone's argument, it's much easier to present your own position as being reasonable, but this kind of dishonesty serves to undermine honest rational debate.

Strawman

Because you found something difficult to understand, or are unaware of how it works, you made out like it's probably not true. Complex subjects like biological evolution through natural selection require some amount of understanding before one is able to make an informed judgement about the subject at hand; this fallacy is usually used in place of that understanding.

Personal incredulity

You assumed that one part of something has to be applied to all, or other, parts of it; or that the whole must apply to its parts.Often when something is true for the part it does also apply to the whole, or vice versa, but the crucial difference is whether there exists good evidence to show that this is the case. Because we observe consistencies in things, our thinking can become biased so that we presume consistency to exist where it does not.

Composition/division

You presumed that a real or perceived relationship between things means that one is the cause of the other.Many people confuse correlation (things happening together or in sequence) for causation (that one thing actually causes the other to happen). Sometimes correlation is coincidental, or it may be attributable to a common cause.

False cause

You used a double meaning or ambiguity of language to mislead or misrepresent the truth.Politicians are often guilty of using ambiguity to mislead and will later point to how they were technically not outright lying if they come under scrutiny. The reason that it qualifies as a fallacy is that it is intrinsically misleading.

Ambiguity

You presumed that because a claim has been poorly argued, or a fallacy has been made, that the claim itself must be wrong.It is entirely possible to make a claim that is false yet argue with logical coherency for that claim, just as it is possible to make a claim that is true and justify it with various fallacies and poor arguments.

The fallacy fallacy

You judged something as either good or bad on the basis of where it comes from, or from whom it came.This fallacy avoids the argument by shifting focus onto something's or someone's origins. It's similar to an ad hominem fallacy in that it leverages existing negative perceptions to make someone's argument look bad, without actually presenting a case for why the argument itself lacks merit.

Genetic

You said that if we allow A to happen, then Z will eventually happen too, therefore A should not happen.The problem with this reasoning is that it avoids engaging with the issue at hand, and instead shifts attention to extreme hypotheticals. Because no proof is presented to show that such extreme hypotheticals will in fact occur, this fallacy has the form of an appeal to emotion fallacy by leveraging fear. In effect the argument at hand is unfairly tainted by unsubstantiated conjecture.

Slippery slope

You said that 'runs' occur to statistically independent phenomena such as roulette wheel spins.This commonly believed fallacy can be said to have helped create an entire city in the desert of Nevada USA. Though the overall odds of a 'big run' happening may be low, each spin of the wheel is itself entirely independent from the last. So whilst there may be a very small chance that heads will come up 20 times in a row if you flip a coin, the chances of heads coming up on each individual flip remain 50/50, and aren't influenced by what happened before.

The gambler's fallacy

You attempted to manipulate an emotional response in place of a valid or compelling argument.Appeals to emotion include appeals to fear, envy, hatred, pity, pride, and more. It's important to note that sometimes a logically coherent argument may inspire emotion or have an emotional aspect, but the problem and fallacy occurs when emotion is used instead of a logical argument, or to obscure the fact that no compelling rational reason exists for one's position.

Appeal to emotion

You asked a question that had a presumption built into it so that it couldn't be answered without appearing guilty.Loaded question fallacies are particularly effective at derailing rational debates because of their inflammatory nature - the recipient of the loaded question is compelled to defend themselves and may appear flustered or on the back foot.

Loaded question

You cherry-picked a data cluster to suit your argument, or found a pattern to fit a presumption.This 'false cause' fallacy is coined after a marksman shooting randomly at barns and then painting bullseye targets around the spot where the most bullet holes appear, making it appear as if he's a really good shot. Clusters naturally appear by chance, but don't necessarily indicate that there is a causal relationship.

The texas sharpshooter

You said that because an authority thinks something, it must therefore be true.It's important to note that this fallacy should not be used to dismiss the claims of experts, or scientific consensus. Appeals to authority are not valid arguments, but nor is it reasonable to disregard the claims of experts who have a demonstrated depth of knowledge unless one has a similar level of understanding and/or access to empirical evidence.

Appeal to authority

You claimed that a compromise, or middle point, between two extremes must be the truth.Much of the time the truth does indeed lie between two extreme points, but this can bias our thinking: sometimes a thing is simply untrue and a compromise of it is also untrue. Half way between truth and a lie, is still a lie.

Middle ground

You presented two alternative states as the only possibilities, when in fact more possibilities exist.Also known as the false dilemma, this insidious tactic has the appearance of forming a logical argument, but under closer scrutiny it becomes evident that there are more possibilities than the either/or choice that is presented. Binary, black-or-white thinking doesn't allow for the many different variables, conditions, and contexts in which there would exist more than just the two possibilities put forth. It frames the argument misleadingly and obscures rational, honest debate.

Black-or-white

You used a personal experience or an isolated example instead of a sound argument or compelling evidence.It's often much easier for people to believe someone's testimony as opposed to understanding complex data and variation across a continuum. Quantitative scientific measures are almost always more accurate than personal perceptions and experiences, but our inclination is to believe that which is tangible to us, and/or the word of someone we trust over a more 'abstract' statistical reality.

Anecdotal

You avoided having to engage with criticism by turning it back on the accuser - you answered criticism with criticism.Pronounced too-kwo-kweh. Literally translating as 'you too' this fallacy is also known as the appeal to hypocrisy. It is commonly employed as an effective red herring because it takes the heat off someone having to defend their argument, and instead shifts the focus back on to the person making the criticism.

Tu quoque

You said that the burden of proof lies not with the person making the claim, but with someone else to disprove.The burden of proof lies with someone who is making a claim, and is not upon anyone else to disprove. The inability, or disinclination, to disprove a claim does not render that claim valid, nor give it any credence whatsoever. However it is important to note that we can never be certain of anything, and so we must assign value to any claim based on the available evidence, and to dismiss something on the basis that it hasn't been proven beyond all doubt is also fallacious reasoning.

Burden of proof

You made what could be called an appeal to purity as a way to dismiss relevant criticisms or flaws of your argument.In this form of faulty reasoning one's belief is rendered unfalsifiable because no matter how compelling the evidence is, one simply shifts the goalposts so that it wouldn't apply to a supposedly 'true' example. This kind of post-rationalization is a way of avoiding valid criticisms of one's argument.

No true scotsman

You argued that because something is 'natural' it is therefore valid, justified, inevitable, good or ideal.Many 'natural' things are also considered 'good', and this can bias our thinking; but naturalness itself doesn't make something good or bad. For instance murder could be seen as very natural, but that doesn't mean it's good or justifiable.

Appeal to nature

You presented a circular argument in which the conclusion was included in the premise.This logically incoherent argument often arises in situations where people have an assumption that is very ingrained, and therefore taken in their minds as a given. Circular reasoning is bad mostly because it's not very good.

Begging the question

You appealed to popularity or the fact that many people do something as an attempted form of validation.The flaw in this argument is that the popularity of an idea has absolutely no bearing on its validity.If it did, then the Earth would have made itself flat for most of history to accommodate this popular belief.

Bandwagon

You moved the goalposts or made up an exception when your claim was shown to be false.Humans are funny creatures and have a foolish aversion to being wrong. Rather than appreciate the benefits of being able to change one's mind through better understanding, many will invent ways to cling to old beliefs. One of the most common ways that people do this is to post-rationalize a reason why what they thought to be true must remain to be true.

Special pleading

You attacked your opponent's character or personal traits in an attempt to undermine their argument.Ad hominem attacks can take the form of overtly attacking somebody, or more subtly casting doubt on their character or personal attributes as a way to discredit their argument. The result of an ad hom attack can be to undermine someone's case without actually having to engage with it.

Ad hominem

A logical fallacy is a flaw in reasoning. Logical fallacies are like tricks or illusions of thought, and they're often very sneakily used by politicians and the media to fool people. Don't be fooled! This website has been designed to help you identify and call out dodgy logic wherever it may raise its ugly, incoherent head.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

communication

Communication

Thou shalt not commit logical fallacies

Find 100+ Facts about Creativity - Curated by others from trusted sources like Books, Podcasts & Articles - Genuine Insights from like-minded Users like You!

DOAC: Steven Bartlett's Interview with Josh Kaufman - Author of The Personal MBA Book

Richard Feynman: 15 Learnings from the Nobel Laureate

The Da Vinci Curse

5 Books Where You Can't Trust the Narrator

Raising Indistractable Kids in an Increasingly Distracting World

7 Thriller Subgenres You Can't Afford to Miss

Build, Don't Talk

Thou shalt not commit logical fallacies

Scar Tissue

Starting a "new life": the first rule

It's time to
Read like a Pro.

DOAC: Steven Bartlett's Interview with Josh Kaufman - Author of The Personal MBA Book

Richard Feynman: 15 Learnings from the Nobel Laureate

The Da Vinci Curse

5 Books Where You Can't Trust the Narrator

Raising Indistractable Kids in an Increasingly Distracting World

7 Thriller Subgenres You Can't Afford to Miss

Build, Don't Talk

Thou shalt not commit logical fallacies

Scar Tissue

Starting a "new life": the first rule

It's time to Read like a Pro.

It's time to
Read like a Pro.