Learning how to eliminate distracting elements in your writing will help you clearly communicate your ideas to your intended audience. The red herring logical fallacy is very often used - so often you may not even notice when it comes into play. While grammar and spell check programs can help your fix mistakes in your writing, you’ll have to spot logical fallacies like red herrings on your own. An employer distracts from a conversation about increasing salaries by mentioning recent awards the company has won.A politician addresses a recent personal scandal by pivoting to a discussion on the latest public transportation budget.Your professor brings up your poor performance on your last English exam and you bring up your stellar grades in biology.Spotting a red herring in your first draft might not always be easy, but these examples show how simple it can be. Red herrings appear when you add unnecessary and distracting details to your rhetoric. Whether you’re writing a persuasive essay or trying to win an everyday argument, consider the relevance of all information you include. The first known example of the phrase being used figurately was in 1807 when a journalist used the phrase to critique press coverage of Napoleon’s defeat. However, over time research showed that the original use of the phrase came from training horses to not be distracted by other smells while hunting. Where did red herring originate?Īlthough a red herring isn’t a type of fish, for many years people believed the phrase originated from a type of cured herring used to train hunting dogs. Strong, persuasive writing goes beyond following grammar rules. Although it’s tempting to use a red herring to try to win an argument, it can weaken the integrity of your assertions, especially in your writing. Red herrings can be used in a wide range of situations, from everyday conversations to serious business deals. When you are late getting home-past curfew-you distract your parents by talking to them about the weather-how cold it is, or how rainy it is. When used in rhetoric, a red herring refers to irrelevant information used in an argument or conversation to distract from the main point. When your mom gets your phone bill and you have gone over the limit, you begin talking to her about how hard your math class is and how well you did on a test today. It can be difficult to spot because it appears to be relevant at first glance. This fallacious argument is often used in political debates and in courtrooms. The character distracts the audience from discovering the true antagonist. The red herring fallacy is a logical fallacy that occurs when someone introduces an irrelevant topic to the conversation in order to divert attention away from the original issue. For example, in a psychological thriller movie, a suspicious neighbor may be introduced as a red herring to make the audience believe they’re a source of danger. When used in literature, television, or movies, red herrings create suspense by distracting the audience. People use red herrings in debates, speeches, casual conversations, persuasive essays, and literature. “When used in literature, television, or movies, red herrings create suspense by distracting the audience.” How do people use red herrings?
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