When someone, instead of answering the main question or addressing reality, diverts the listener to a secondary path so that attention is drawn away from the central point. [1]
Definition:
Fallacies of misleading or distraction occur when the arguer, consciously or unconsciously, avoids answering the main issue and, by using linguistic, emotional, or behavioural tactics, diverts the discussion towards a marginal subject. The aim is to conceal the truth or weaken the listener’s focus on the essential point.
This group of fallacies serves as a conceptual umbrella for five types of deception that will be examined in the following lessons.
Typical structure of these fallacies:
- A main question or issue (A) is raised.
- The respondent or arguer, instead of addressing (A), introduces another topic (B) that appears to be related but is in fact not.
- The conclusion or direction of the discussion shifts towards (B), and the main issue (A) is forgotten.
Structural example:
A: “Why has your company caused environmental pollution?”
B: “We have created thousands of jobs for people.”
Result: The audience’s attention is diverted from pollution (A) to employment (B).
Examples:
1. “Our company is accused of contributing to environmental pollution. But let me remind you that we have created thousands of jobs.”
Here, it should be noted that job creation has no connection with pollution; this statement only serves to divert attention from the main accusation.
2. “In response to a question about financial corruption, the government says, ‘We have been successful in fighting terrorism.’”
Here, it should be noted that success in another field cannot serve as an answer to an accusation of corruption.
3. “When you ask someone about their unreliability, they reply, ‘You are always late yourself!’”
Here, it should be noted that the listener’s fault is no justification for the speaker’s own misconduct.
Why are these fallacies dangerous?
- They conceal the truth and divert mental focus from the main issue.
- They serve as tools in the hands of politics, media, and advertising to distort reality.
- Through constant repetition, they reduce society’s sensitivity to lies and deception.
How can we recognise and respond to them?
To identify these fallacies, pay attention to the following signs:
- A sudden change of topic or a shift of discussion to an unrelated area.
- The use of emotional language to attract attention and divert attention from logic.
- Replacing the main question with a superficial or distracting point.
An appropriate response might be: “You have changed the subject instead of addressing the main question; let us return to the issue itself.”
Conclusion:
Fallacies of misleading or distraction remind us that in any discussion or argument, focusing on the core of the issue is essential for understanding the truth. These fallacies, by redirecting attention, conceal reality and lead the listener’s mind towards a seemingly reasonable but irrelevant topic.
Recognising them helps us avoid accepting arguments that deceive the mind through emotions, excuses, or moral displays, and instead keep our attention fixed on the real issue.
This lesson has covered the general nature and mechanism of misleading or distraction fallacies. In the following lessons, five specific forms of such deceptions will be examined:
2. The Appeal to Virtue Fallacy
4. The Virtue Signalling Fallacy
5. The Resource Excuse Fallacy [Identified and defined by Bahman Azadfar]
[1] For example, a person or institution may refer to a small good deed in an attempt to conceal a major wrongdoing, hoping that their overall image, or that of their organisation, will appear positive and the main mistake will be forgotten.