Point Lookout
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Archive of Past Issues

Rhetorical Fallacies

Here are links to the previous issues of Point Lookout that touch on rhetorical fallacies. Bookmark this page. Or browse the Point Lookout archive by date. Subscribe now.

A diagram of the cross section of a boat with a single water ballast tank at the bottomComing January 22: Storming: Obstacle or Pathway?
The Storming stage of Tuckman's model of small group development is widely misunderstood. Fighting the storms, denying they exist, or bypassing them doesn't work. Letting them blow themselves out in a somewhat-controlled manner is the path to Norming and Performing. Available here and by RSS on January 22.
The Eisenhower Matrix of Urgency by ImportanceAnd on January 29: A Framework for Safe Storming
The Storming stage of Tuckman's development sequence for small groups is when the group explores its frustrations and degrees of disagreement about both structure and task. Only by understanding these misalignments is reaching alignment possible. Here is a framework for this exploration. Available here and by RSS on January 29.

Other topical archives:

January 1, 2014

A view of the South Canyon Fire near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, at noon on July 4, 1994The Nominal Fallacy at Work
Using logical fallacies at work — intentionally or otherwise — costs real money. The nominal fallacy is probably responsible for much delay in addressing our real problems.

December 14, 2022

An actual straw manStraw Man Variants
The Straw Man fallacy is a famous rhetorical fallacy. Using it distorts debate and can lead groups to reach faulty conclusions. It's readily recognized, but it has some variants that are more difficult to spot. When unnoticed, trouble looms.

March 28, 2012

Abraham Lincoln as a young man about to become a candidate for U.S. SenateWorkplace Politics and Integrity
Some see workplace politics and integrity as inherently opposed. One can participate in politics, or one can have integrity — not both. This belief is a dangerous delusion.

March 21, 2012

Two halos: the Ring Nebula and a solar haloThe Halo Effect
The Halo Effect is a cognitive bias that causes our evaluation of people, concepts, or objects to be influenced by our perceptions of one attribute of those people, concepts, or objects. It can lead us to make significant errors of judgment.

March 14, 2012

The "Face on Mars" as seen by Viking 1 in 1976, compared to the MGS image taken in 2001Apophenia at Work
The urge to identify as meaningful the patterns we see in winning streaks in sports, or streaks of successes in business, can lead us to accept bogus explanations prematurely. It's a common human tendency that can put people and organizations in desperate situations.

September 28, 2011

Perceptual illusions resulting from reificationThe Reification Error and Performance Management
Just as real concrete objects have attributes, so do abstract concepts, or constructs. But attempting to measure the attributes of constructs as if they were the attributes of real objects is an example of the reification error. In performance management, committing this error leads to unexpected and unwanted results.

January 10, 2001

Blaming and placatingDealing with Implied Accusations
Some people use rhetorical tricks that push our buttons, which makes choosing wisely difficult. Implied accusations make us defensive, which is almost always a bad place to be. What other choices do we have?

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