How To Recognize A Red Herring

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How To Recognize A Red Herring
How To Recognize A Red Herring

Video: How To Recognize A Red Herring

Video: How To Recognize A Red Herring
Video: Red Herring - Critical Thinking Fallacies | WIRELESS PHILOSOPHY 2024, March
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Distracting maneuver is designed to disperse a person's attention and switch from an important problem to a secondary one. How do people skillfully manipulate consciousness, leading the situation in a different direction?

How to recognize a red herring
How to recognize a red herring

Lead away

This maneuver is performed in order to divert the attention of the interlocutor from the main question to a lot of minor details. Facts that do not correspond to the topic begin to be presented with detailed explanations, interesting stories are told that are less and less relevant. As a result, there is essentially no time left to solve the problem or to answer, which was required. Conclusion: a large flow of information is misleading and an unwanted problem or question remains open.

Distract by a small request

When a person is very busy and focused on solving a specific problem, skillful manipulators politely distract. The question is asked at first once, then after a short time they come again, but with a minor request. On the one hand, the tension grows, that someone is constantly distracting, and on the other hand, it is not good to respond to politeness with irritation. And more often in such situations, people agree to do a favor, just to get rid of them and let them work in peace. Then the understanding comes that this was a blatant trick, and the manipulator deliberately took advantage of the situation. Conclusion: many people, when they are very busy, are ready to do anything, just to be left alone.

Human weaknesses

Skillful manipulators hide their true intentions and, with the help of psychological tricks, get the decisions they need from the communication partner. Any weapon can be used: from banal flattery to gross intimidation. Knowing about the love of money and the thirst for power, a person is offered a bribe or a quick career growth, and in return he turns a blind eye to issues that were previously fundamental to him. When signing important documents, a subordinate enthusiastically discusses a recent football match, taking advantage of his supervisor's interest in sports. The documents were signed, and the unfavorable terms of the contract went unnoticed. Conclusion: using human weakness, you can lull vigilance.

The element of surprise

Communicating with people, over time, we study his character traits and have an idea of his characteristic model of behavior. We can be surprised and even unsettled by the unpredictable behavior of familiar people. A scandalous and expressive person by nature begins to politely apologize and give gifts. It seems touching, and the thought arises that people still tend to change. After some time, when the negativity has decreased and the former vigilance has disappeared, the "kind" person again declares his rights and demands. Any situations that go beyond the usual understanding can lead to confusion. Conclusion: attention can be distracted by non-standard behavior.

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