Hey what’s up Thinkers! Kathy Gibbens here…
First up, I wanted to share a quick message I received not too long ago on Facebook from Tamar. She said, “Hi Kathy! Our family is enjoying this podcast! Thank you so much! I was wondering if you have had the chance to create some printables so that we could have a quick reference?” First of all, thanks so much for listening, Tamar! I so appreciate it! And I have to say, this is a question I get a lot - is there a printable list of all the fallacies. Well, I’m happy to tell you that Im working on this resource! It’s a bit labor-intensive, so it’s not a quick project, but it is one of the next things I’m working to get done. So, stay tuned, and if you want to be the first to hear about it when it’s done, be sure to get on my email list. You can get on it at my website: filteritthroughabraincell.com and just click “Contact”.
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Ok, let’s dive into our new fallacy for the day, The Nirvana Fallacy. The Nirvana Fallacy happens when someone compares existing solutions with idealized, perfect solutions that may not even exist.
This fallacy is a form of Perfectionism and is also sometimes called the Perfect Solution Fallacy or Perfection Fallacy.
Have you ever heard someone say, “What’s the point of eating well & working out? We’re all going to die anyways!” That’s the Nirvana Fallacy. Basically they’re saying that b/c we can’t stop death, we shouldn’t even bother trying to live well. When we say it like that, you can see how ridiculous it is, right?
Here’s another example: “We shouldn’t have age limits on purchasing & drinking alcohol b/c kids are just going to find other ways to drink anyways.” Ok, so just b/c it doesn’t completely eliminate the possibility of teens drinking alcohol, does that mean we shouldn’t have age limits on who can legally purchase & drink alcohol? You see the perfectionistic tendency here?
What’s wrong with the thinking here is that we shouldn’t reject an option just because it isn’t perfect — all options & solutions will likely be imperfect. Sometimes a “good enough” solution implemented now is better than the “perfect” solution that doesn’t exist. People who commit this fallacy assume that there is a perfect solution out there somewhere and is sometimes the result of wishful thinking.
In politics, it can sound like this: “The Democrats rejected the Republican’s bill on poverty b/c it didn’t address the homelessness issue in downtown Denver.” Can you hear the fallacy? Just b/c the bill wasn’t perfect in addressing every single poverty solutions doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good bill or a good step in the right direction. The idea presented needs to be considered on its own merits, not on whether it’s PERFECT. Sometimes, something IS better than nothing!
So, the question to ask yourself if you think you’re facing the Nirvana Fallacy is this: “Is it really bad just b/c it’s not perfect?” *repeat*
Remember: When you learn HOW to think, you will no longer fall prey to those who are trying to tell you what THEY want you to think and it all starts with asking one simple question: “Is that really true?”
