Don't attack me. Attack my argument

Ad Hominem fallacy

Have you seen debates when the focus isn't on the argument but rather on the person?

Or has someone dismissed your idea because of who you are, rather than the idea itself?

If so, welcome to the world of ad hominem. It is a logical fallacy where the person making the argument gets attacked . ( Rather than the argument itself).

Ad hominem is a Latin phrase that means "against the man".

A logical fallacy is an argument that sounds convincing (but is actually flawed).

I’m not a lawyer. Why should I know about this??

  1. To be a better thinker:

Understanding Ad Hominem isn't about winning arguments. It is about being a better thinker. By understanding this, you equip yourself with the tools to differentiate between:

  • Criticism.

  • Baseless attacks.

Debates, work discussions or casual conversations - recognizing Ad Hominem will help you:

  • Focus on the argument.

  • Tell when it gets shitty.

  1. To separate the wheat from the chaff:

Switch on any debate on an important issue on TV. I guarantee you, things will be ugly (everyone loves a fight). No controversy = lesser eyeballs = less advertising money.

Understanding Ad Hominem will help you separate signal from noise. And there is a lot of noise out there - trust me.

  1. To build a culture of respect:

When we learn to focus on the argument (& not the person), it will be an actual discussion. Anyone can be a lowlife and abuse another person. To stay above drama and talk facts is a sign of intellectual thinking.

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts"

- Bertrand Russel

Ad Hominem is like a shield for those who have nothing to say to your arguments. Desperate, they attack you instead. Maintain your dignity. Walk away in grace.

How you can use this knowledge to your advantage:

  1. Intellectual humility:

Understand that noone is perfect. More so, noone is immune from biases and blind spots. We can only strive to be students and be open to learn from others. I heard this from someone:

Imagine that everyone was sent to teach you something

This attitude helps cultivate a beginner's mindset.

  1. Active listening:

Listen to understand, not to speak. We have two ears and one mouth. Why? Because someone wanted us to listen more than we speak. This illustration from my friend, Véronique shows the different levels of listening.

  1. Lead by example:

Now that you've learnt about Ad Hominem, seek to engage in intellectual discussions. Challenge yourself to engage with ideas, not personalities. Watch the quality of discussions improve - and with it:

  • Personal relationships &

  • Intellectual thinking.

How to use this in your daily life:

  1. Performance reviews:

Don't focus on personal characteristics. Look at the employee's contributions. Because of someone's inexperience / different background, their ideas shouldn't suffer.

  1. Team meetings:

In each group, there is a hierarchy. Someone may assign them e.g. based on role:

  • Engineer

  • Senior engineer

  • Manager etc

Or someone may perceive them. e.g.

  • This chap never gives good ideas.

  • This person is always lost.

Don't dismiss ideas based on these factors. e.g. a junior engineer may give an out - of the box solution. Do not ignore them because they're inexperienced. Encourage diverse voices.

It is common for biases -

  • Gender

  • Race

  • Sex

to influence decision making. Don't go down this road. Look at the person's:

  • Performance

  • Potential

  • Passion

  1. Conflicts resolution:

    Never allow / carry out personal attacks or character assassination. This will destroy trust in the team. Conflicts may take place because of underlying trust issues. Identify and solve them as soon as possible.

In Summary:

The next time you listen to such statements, recognize what's going on:

  1. "You can't trust anything she says about climate change .She's a stay-at-home mom."

  2. "Why should we listen to him about economic policy? He's a college dropout."

  3. "She's too young to understand the complexities of foreign policy."

  4. "Why bother discussing gun control with him? He's a bleeding-heart liberal."

After all, Gallelio Galleli said the earth revolves around the sun. Instead of looking at his scientific evidence, he was branded as a heritic and jailed.

I hope this powerful concept helps you in your personal and professional life. Share with someone who will benefit.

Further reading:

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