Comments on: The Fallacy of Examples

The Fallacy of Examples

homunculus — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:25:09 -0800

The Fallacy of Examples, and the problems of extrapolating from media. [Via RConversation]

By: never used baby shoes

never used baby shoes — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:58:42 -0800

Interesting. It reminds me of the cognitive errors we make that Taleb points out in The Black Swan.

By: Class Goat

Class Goat — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:23:14 -0800

I think the name of that fallacy is "misleading vividness".

By: sien

sien — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:35:33 -0800

An editor of the Economist in the 1950s is alleged to have said that the key to journalism was 'get the facts, simplify, then exaggerate'. It seems things change little.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 05:04:54 -0800

This is sort of the same effect seen in narrative fiction. Sure, incredible things happen to our hero, but if they didn't, we wouldn't be reading the story. All usual caveats about not trying this at home apply.

By: nax

nax — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:37:30 -0800

Interesting. As a professional fundraiser, this is something I do every day. I love those moments when a single individual has an extraordinary experience at my agency-- because that is the story that goes in the fund appeal, and that is the individual I introduce to my major donors. The second link points out that people take in information better when it's a a story. It's those exceptional stories that make the best narratives for my agency's fundraising needs. This use of story is so basic to fundraising that I never really thought about the spectrum of stories in any agency, and have never questioned the use of the one most compelling story, rather than the many more typical ones. Fundraisers are always looking for that one person whose life was transformed, rather than the many whose lives are simply better. But OP you've given me some real food for thought-- can I write a compelling story about the average, rather than the exceptional? I am surely going to try. Thank you for starting my day like this. I am inspired. Truly best of the web.