{"id":847,"date":"2024-04-12T20:47:54","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T18:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/?page_id=847"},"modified":"2024-04-12T21:03:22","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T19:03:22","slug":"hareng-rouge","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/cours-de-methodologie\/hareng-rouge\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Herring or Diversion Fallacy or Obfuscation Fallacy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"847\" class=\"elementor elementor-847\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8bb602b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8bb602b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column 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elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e38543f\" data-id=\"e38543f\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-85f63fb elementor-align-justify elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"85f63fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/complex-systems-ai.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Data Science<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7820665 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7820665\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8e99ee4\" data-id=\"8e99ee4\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c68193 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1c68193\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Page contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Contents\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseprofile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/cours-de-methodologie\/hareng-rouge\/#Erreur_de_Hareng_rouge\" >Red Herring Error<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/cours-de-methodologie\/hareng-rouge\/#Cause\" >Cause<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/cours-de-methodologie\/hareng-rouge\/#Exemple\" >Example<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/cours-de-methodologie\/hareng-rouge\/#Comment_eviter_une_erreur_de_hareng_rouge\" >How to Avoid a Red Herring Mistake<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Erreur_de_Hareng_rouge\"><\/span>Red Herring Error<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e2dfa70 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e2dfa70\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-70c629d\" data-id=\"70c629d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-41524e4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"41524e4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A diversionary fallacy or red herring fallacy is an attempt to divert a conversation from its original topic. A red herring is used by introducing irrelevant information that distracts the reader or listener. This may or may not be intentional.<\/p><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-49 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/logo_sc-150x150.png\" alt=\"hareng rouge\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/logo_sc-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/logo_sc-70x70.png 70w, https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/logo_sc-125x125.png 125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2ad570b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2ad570b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-351e725\" data-id=\"351e725\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7b76382 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7b76382\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cause\"><\/span>Cause<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-14ade8b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"14ade8b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-408d2a2\" data-id=\"408d2a2\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1099845 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1099845\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The red herring refers to information being used as a distraction. Detective novels, for example, often feature a character who attracts the reader&#039;s attention as a potential suspect but is ultimately proven innocent. In this case, the red herring is used as a literary device to send the reader down the wrong path, creating a plot twist and delivering a surprise ending.<\/p><p>Sometimes a red herring is used as a rhetorical strategy to persuade others, or even used accidentally in argument, in which case we call it a red herring fallacy. For example, politicians often use it as a diversionary tactic to evade <a href=\"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/cours-de-methodologie\/definir-les-questions-scientifiques\/\">questions<\/a> difficult questions asked in public. Instead of answering the question, they may start talking about an unrelated topic to distract their audience.<\/p><p>This can happen for several reasons:<\/p><ul><li>Redirect a discussion towards a topic that is highly controversial and likely to get people&#039;s attention<\/li><li>Confuse people by introducing a vague statement, causing them to forget the original topic<\/li><li>Avoid answering a difficult question head-on, especially when people feel cornered or need to defend themselves.<\/li><li>Avoid discussing a personal matter during a friendly conversation<\/li><\/ul><p>It is important to remember that people who make a diversionary error do not always intend to manipulate others. Sometimes they do it without even realizing it, and it can sometimes be a justified effort to change the subject.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-36110ba elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"36110ba\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5e7acf3\" data-id=\"5e7acf3\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-29b75c9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"29b75c9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Exemple\"><\/span>Example<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-073d495 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"073d495\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ad2d5a5\" data-id=\"ad2d5a5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d03553f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d03553f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>During the COVID-19 pandemic, rumors and misinformation regarding vaccines have widely circulated on social media. Some of them included flimsy arguments, such as the following:<\/p><p>\u201cThe information I saw online about COVID-19 causing infertility this summer has been removed. I heard it was because of the Bill Gates and vaccine trials in Africa. Does this have to do with COVID-19 vaccines causing infertility? \u00bb<\/p><p>This is an example of a diversionary fallacy. Perhaps the person who asked the question online did not intend to confuse or misinform others, but they made an error in reasoning.<\/p><p>Discussions about information suppression and lawsuits involving Bill Gates distract from the main concern: whether COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility. To address this concern, it is important to focus on the issue related to vaccine safety rather than peripheral discussions related to online information and lawsuits.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2614362 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2614362\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9c8bfab\" data-id=\"9c8bfab\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5087784 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5087784\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Comment_eviter_une_erreur_de_hareng_rouge\"><\/span>How to Avoid a Red Herring Mistake<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-df2f7a0 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"df2f7a0\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-810e11a\" data-id=\"810e11a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-496f155 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"496f155\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>It is important to be able to spot a red herring in arguments. Depending on the situation, here are some ways to respond to this error:<\/p><ul><li>When you make or respond to an assumption, rewrite it before responding to frame the paragraph.<\/li><li>Don&#039;t make assumptions if you don&#039;t have <a href=\"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/cours-de-methodologie\/parfaire-la-section-resultats\/\">results<\/a> or clear quotation allowing it to be answered directly, without going through generalities or ideas having nothing a priori to do with the initial hypothesis.<\/li><li>To avoid a false lead, ask yourself to justify or further develop the argument.<\/li><li>If you fail to satisfy an assumption. In this case, the best thing to do is to forget about it and continue the discussion.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home Data Science Red Herring Fallacy A diversionary fallacy or red herring fallacy is an attempt\u2026 <\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":47,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-847","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=847"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":865,"href":"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/847\/revisions\/865"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/47"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/guillaume-guerard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}