Hey what’s up Thinkers! Kathy Gibbens here…
This episode is brought to you by the Meme Fallacy Quiz. Did you know I’ve created a quiz that you can take to test yourself on how well you do at recognizing and naming what I like to call “Fallacies in the Wild”? It’s super fun, only 11 questions long and just takes a few minutes to complete. I’d love for you to check it out at filteritthroughabraincell.com/quiz.
Before we discuss today’s new fallacy, I wanted to share a review that a listener named Jen sent me via email. She says, “Kathy, My family listens to your podcast on our long drive to and from church and it has made the drive enjoyable. We have studied informal fallacies previously, and we use your podcast for review, to learn new fallacies, and to foster great conversation. I homeschool my three boys (ages 14, 12, and 10) and your podcast is a perfect supplement to our learning. I wish I had learned how to think and spot faulty arguments when I was young, but I am so thankful for the opportunity to redeem my education and to provide my children with something better. Thank you for all the work you have done! Not only are you teaching people how to think better, but you are helping families build strong relationships with each other through meaningful conversation. Many thanks, Jen. Oh my gosh, Jen! You have absolutely made my day by sending me this email! Thank you so much for listening and for letting me know that the podcast is making a difference in your family’s lives! That’s exactly why I’m doing it!
Today’s fallacy is actually another one that is categorized as propaganda, and it’s called Transfer. Transfer, which is also known as Association, is a propaganda technique that tries to link a person, idea, or object with either a positive or negative symbol in order to influence the audience's perception of the person, idea or object. This can be done through the use of words, images, or other symbolic representations.
This technique is often used in advertising. For example, a luxury car brand may use images of successful, attractive people in their advertisements in order to transfer these positive qualities onto the car itself. The idea is that by buying the car, the consumer will also be able to associate themselves with these seemingly desirable qualities.
The reason this propaganda technique is so effective is that it happens almost subconsciously. Our brains will take the leap to transfer the positive or negative associations without us even trying, and once we feel a certain way about something, it’s really hard to undo. One way to counteract this is to consider the source of the message and whether or not they have an ulterior motive for using transfer. It can also be helpful to think about whether the message is based on facts and evidence, or if it is simply relying on emotional appeals to sway your opinion.
Another example of Transfer is the use of patriotic symbols in political campaigns. Have you ever noticed how two different political parties, democrats & republicans use very similar symbols & decorations in their messaging, rallies & ads? By using the flag, the national anthem, or other patriotic symbols in their messaging, politicians are working to associate themselves with positive values such as nationalism, patriotism and love of country. This is very effective in influencing how the audience feels about the candidate and helps them win support. In fact, we saw this backfire on our current president just a few months ago as he delivered a speech where the stage & backdrop were dimly lit with red, sort of creepy lighting. It gave him & the whole event a dark, sinister appearance and many people afterwards were making comparisons to Hitler. The imagery & the ambiance of the stage transferred to a very negative association with a lot of people who watched or saw pictures.
Question to ask yourself: “Are they really telling me anything meaningful or just trying to get me to feel a certain way?”… *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?”
