Hey what’s up Thinkers! Kathy Gibbens here…
Ok, today we are reviewing the last tactic from the Manipulation mini-series that we covered earlier in this season, so let’s talk about Moving the Goalposts. Moving the goalposts is when someone keeps coming up with new things for you to do in order to meet their approval or live up to their expectations. This is usually done by someone who you’re trying to please or whose standards you’re trying to meet. But sometimes, no matter how much you show up for this person, they will change their expectations at the last minute to keep you constantly running toward their “goalposts.”
The question to ask yourself if you’re facing the Moving the Goalpost tactics is this: “Did I already meet the expectation?”And if so, you stop arguing.
If you want to hear more about this fallacy do a quick review of it, go back and check out Episode 57,
Hey homeschoolers! Are you looking for a new math curriculum? CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Creative graphics and animation synchronized with the friendly voice of internationally acclaimed teacher Pat Murray makes learning math easy and effective. The lessons are short and concise to help your child break down concepts and appreciate math in a whole new way. Plus, you get a full 12-month money-back guarantee - No questions asked - if this curriculum is not right for you and your family. Visit C-T-C-math.com today to start your free trial, that's C-T-C-math.com, and check out the link in the show notes for a 50% discount when you do register!
Ok, let’s dive into the new fallacy for today: The Snow Job Fallacy. The Snow Job Fallacy happens when someone just talks & talks or presents information about something that’s either totally irrelevant, or at best, is only marginally relevant to the conversation at hand. Like a blizzard that covers up & hides everything it snows on, someone committing the Snow Job fallacy tries to cover up, misrepresent, or divert attention from something by talking a lot about something else that has very little to do with the topic at hand. It’s a form of Confusion, which we covered back in episode 53.
I did a little research on where the phrase came from, and I discovered it came from a phrase that was first used During World War II. American soldiers coined the expression “Snowed Under” to describe what it was like trying to persuade their commanding officers that they should get extra time off or to talk their way out of something because of circumstances out of their control. They would ‘Snow the commander under’ a bunch of unnecessary talk to try to get something they want.
Here’s a simple example: “My sister did a great 30-minute snow job on me to convince me to run a marathon with her…she made me believe that everyone there was a beginning runner!”
The problem with the thinking here is probably pretty obvious to you… the person is avoiding the issue. They’re trying to distract & confuse by talking a lot about things that don’t have anything to do with the topic. It’s a tactic meant to get you off-kilter and worn down mentally so that you’ll accept whatever they’re trying to convince you of.
Now, someone committing the Snow Job Fallacy can use different tactics to cover up, manipulate or confuse the other person.
For instance, the student making up an elaborate story about how the dog ate their homework is using a deceptive story to hide the truth.
The child who over-compliments his Mother when she’s angry at him, telling her how pretty she looks today and how nice her new dress is is using flattery to try to get her to not be so angry.
The city manager who uses vague & unhelpful grafts & charts to try to convince the city council to adopt their development plan is using unrelated data to try to push their plan through. But can you see how in each example, they’re still just trying to convince someone to do something by sharing lots of information that’s ultimately unrelated to the issue.
Question to ask yourself: “What does that have to do with the topic we’re discussing?” *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?”
