The term “red herring” originates from an article written by English journalist William Cobbett in 1807. In this article, Cobbett described a fictional story in which he used a red herring (likely meaning a smoked or salted herring) to distract hunting dogs from pursuing a hare. He employed this anecdote as a metaphor to criticize journalists who were misled by false information, particularly regarding the supposed defeat of Napoleon, which caused them to ignore important domestic issues.
Red herrings in Forever Alone thinking
The red herring fallacy can manifest internally in the thought patterns of someone who feels Forever Alone or Involuntarily Celibate. Instead of focusing on the core issues, they may introduce irrelevant factors to distract themselves:
Focusing on Superficial Traits: A person struggling with loneliness may convince themselves that their lack of success in dating is due to physical attributes like height, looks, or wealth. They might think, “If only I was taller/more muscular/richer, women would like me.” However, these superficial qualities are red herrings – many people find fulfilling relationships without having these traits.
Overcoming internal red herrings
To avoid falling into the trap of red herrings, it’s important to stay focused on the core issues behind loneliness, such as low self-worth, unrealistic expectations, or lack of social skills. Introducing irrelevant factors like looks, wealth or gender preferences only serves as a distraction. With self-compassion and a balanced perspective, those struggling with loneliness can move forward in a healthier way
External red herrings
A red herring fallacy typically follows this pattern:
Topic A is under discussion.
Topic B, which is irrelevant to Topic A, is introduced.
Topic A is abandoned in favor of discussing Topic B.
The irrelevant information introduced in a red herring is often misleading or distracting, leading the audience or reader toward a false conclusion. Red herrings can be used intentionally or unintentionally in arguments, debates, and conversations.
Examples
In an argument about academic requirements: “I think we should make the academic requirements stricter for students. I recommend you support this because we are in a budget crisis, and we do not want our salaries affected.” The budget crisis is irrelevant to the discussion about academic requirements and serves as a red herring.
In a mystery novel: The character of Bishop Aringarosa in Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” is presented as being at the center of the church’s conspiracies for most of the novel, only to be later revealed as having been innocently duped by the true antagonist. The bishop’s character acts as a red herring to mislead the reader.
Implications
Red herrings can be used to deliberately mislead or distract from the main point of an argument. They can weaken the integrity of an argument by introducing irrelevant information. In literature, red herrings are often used to create suspense and misdirect the reader.
Avoiding Red Herrings
To avoid committing or falling victim to a red herring fallacy, it is important to:
- Stay focused on the main topic or argument and avoid being distracted by irrelevant information.
- Critically evaluate the relevance of any new information introduced and how it relates to the original topic.
- Redirect the discussion back to the main issue if a red herring is introduced.
The main thing internally, is to be aware of what your issues are. You have to drill down and keep asking, why is this important, why is this important, why is this important. For example, you might have some issue about your appearance in some way, why is this important? You want people to judge you well. Why is this important? To find a partner? Why is this important? When you are consciously deciding your beliefs, philosophies of life, plans for the future, make sure you are basing reasoning on core issues, and not red herrings.