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unit1TextALoveandlogic:Thestoryofafallacy1IhadmyfirstdatewithPollyafterImadethetradewithmyroommateRob.Thatyeareveryguyoncampushadaleatherjacket,andRobcouldn'tstandtheideaofbeingtheonlyfootballplayerwhodidn't,sohemadeapactthathe'dgivemehisgirlinexchangeformyjacket.Hewasn'tthebrightestguy.Pollywasn'ttooshrewd,either.2Butshewaspretty,well-off,didn'tdyeherhairstrangecolorsorweartoomuchmakeup.Shehadtherightbackgroundtobethegirlfriendofadogged,brilliantlawyer.IfIcouldshowtheelitelawfirmsIappliedtothatIhadaradiant,well-spokencounterpartbymyside,Ijustmightedgepastthecompetition.3Radiantshewasalready.Icoulddispenseherenoughpearlsofwisdomtomakeherwell-spoken.4Afterabannerdayout,Idroveuntilweweresituatedunderabigoldoaktreeonahillofftheexpressway.WhatIhadinmindwasalittleeccentric.Ithoughtthevenuewithaperfectviewoftheluminouscitywouldlightenthemood.Westayedinthecar,andIturneddownthestereoandtookmyfootoffthebrakepedal.Whatarewegoingtotalkabout?sheasked.5Logic.6Cool,shesaidoverhergum.7Thedoctrineoflogic,Isaid,isastapleofclearthinking.Failuresinlogicdistortthetruth,andsomeofthemarewellknown.Firstlet'slookatthefallacyDictoSimpliciter.8Great,sheagreed.9DictoSimplicitermeansanunqualifiedgeneralization.Forexample:Exerciseisgood.Therefore,everybodyshouldexercise.10Shenoddedinagreement.11Icouldseeshewasstumped.Polly,Iexplained,it'stoosimpleageneralization.Ifyouhave,say,heartdiseaseorextremeobesity,exerciseisbad,notgood.Therefore,youmustsayexerciseisgoodformostpeople.12NextisHastyGeneralization.Self-explanatory,right?Listencarefully:Youcan'tspeakFrench.Robcan'tspeakFrench.LookslikenobodyatthisschoolcanspeakFrench.13Really?saidPolly,amazed.Nobody?14Thisisalsoafallacy,Isaid.Thegeneralizationisreachedtoohastily.Toofewinstancessupportsuchaconclusion.15Sheseemedtohaveagoodtime.Icouldsafelysaymyplanwasunderway.Itookherhomeandsetadateforanotherconversation.16SeatedundertheoakthenexteveningIsaid,OurfirstfallacytonightiscalledAdMisericordiam.17Shenoddedwithdelight.18Listenclosely,Isaid.Amanappliesforajob.Whenthebossaskshimwhathisqualificationsare,hesayshehassixchildrentofeed.19Oh,thisisawful,awful,shewhisperedinachokedvoice.,20Yes,it'sawful,Iagreed,butit'snoargument.Themanneveransweredtheboss'squestion.Insteadheappealedtotheboss'ssympathyAdMisericordiam.,,21Sheblinked,stilltryinghardtokeepbackhertears.22Next,Isaidcarefully,wewilldiscussFalseAnalogy.Anexample,studentsshouldbeallowedtolookattheirtextbooksduringexams,becausesurgeonshaveX-raystoguidethemduringsurgery.X23Ilikethatidea,shesaid.24Polly,Igroaned,don'tderailthediscussion.Theinferenceiswrong.Doctorsaren'ttakingatesttoseehowmuchtheyhavelearned,butstudentsare.Thesituationsarealtogetherdifferent.Youcan'tmakeananalogybetweenthem.25Istillthinkit'sagoodidea,saidPolly.26Withfivenightsofdiligentwork,IactuallymadealogicianoutofPolly.Shewasananalyticalthinkeratlast.Thetimehadcomefortheconversionofourrelationshipfromacademictoromantic.27Polly,Isaidwhennextwesatunderouroak,tonightwewon'tdiscussfallacies.28Oh?shesaid,alittledisappointed.29Favoringherwithagrin,Isaid,Wehavenowspentfiveeveningstogether.Wegetalongprettywell.Wemakeaprettygoodcouple.:30HastyGeneralization,saidPollybrightly.Orasanormalpersonmightsay,that'salittlepremature,don'tyouthink?31Ilaughedwithamusement.She'dlearnedherlessonswell,farsurpassingmyexpectations.Sweetheart,Isaid,pattingherhandinatolerantmanner,fivedatesisplenty.Afterall,youdon'thavetoeatawholecaketoknowit'sgood.32FalseAnalogy,saidPollypromptly.Yourpremiseisthatdatingislikeeating.Butyou'renotacake.You'reaboy.33Ilaughedwithsomewhatlessamusement,hidingmydreadthatshe'dlearnedherlessonstoowell.Afewmorefalsestepswouldbemydoom.Idecidedtochangetacticsandtryflatteryinstead.34Polly,Iloveyou.Pleasesayyou'llgooutwithme.I'mnothingwithoutyou.35AdMisericordiam,shesaid.36Youcertainlycandiscernafallacywhenyouseeit,Isaid,myhopesstartingtocrumble.Butdon'ttakethemsoliterally.Imeanthisisallacademic.Youknowthethingsyoulearninschooldon'thaveanythingtodowithreallife.37DictoSimpliciter,shesaid.Besides,youreallyshouldpracticewhatyoupreach.38Ileapedtomyfeet,mytemperflaringup.Willyouorwillyounotgooutwithme?39Notoyourproposition,shereplied.40Why?Idemanded.41I'mmoreinterestedinadifferentpetitionerRobandIarebacktogether.42Withgreateffort,Isaidcalmly,HowcouldyougivemetheaxeoverRob?Lookatme,aningeniousstudent,atremendousintellectual,amanwithanassuredfuture.LookatRob,amuscularidiot,aguywho'llneverknowwherehisnextmealiscomingfrom.Canyougivemeonegoodreasonwhyyoushouldbewithhim?43Wow,whatpresumption!I'llputitinawaysomeoneasbrilliantasyoucanunderstand,retortedPolly,hervoicedrippingwithsarcasm.FulldisclosureIlikeRobinleather.Itoldhimtosayyestoyousohecouldhaveyourjacket!TextBWhydosmartpeopledodumbthings?1Orthodoxviewsprizeintelligenceandintellectualrigorhighlyinthemodernrealmofuniversitiesandtechindustryjobs.Oneoftheunderlyingassumptionsofthisvaluesystemisthatsmartpeople,byvirtueofwhatthey'velearned,willformulatebetterdecisions.Oftenthisistrue.Yetpsychologistswhostudyhumandecision-makingprocesseshaveuncove