Lesson 8: Red Herring

Spot the Faulty Logic #

“I know I forgot to take out the trash like you asked, but look at this A on my math test! I studied really hard for it.”

Discussion: Talk with your teacher about this example. What might be the problem with the child’s statement?

How/Why It’s Often Used #

The term comes from an old practice used to train hunting dogs. Herring (a type of fish) turns red and smells very pungent when it is smoked. Trainers would drag this smelly fish across a fox’s scent trail to test the dogs. If the dogs were disciplined, they would stay on the fox’s trail. However, if they were easily distracted, they would follow the strong smell of the fish instead. In logic, a “Red Herring” is that smelly fish, a strong distraction thrown in to lead you away from the real issue.

People use this fallacy when they can’t defend their position on the actual topic, or when they want to avoid discussing something uncomfortable. It’s also used to confuse the audience by introducing a flashy, shocking, or emotionally positive topic to draw attention away from the original issue. The goal is to send the argument off on a “false trail” so the original point is abandoned.

Red Herring in Action #

Did you spot the faulty logic? #

The student uses their success in math to distract from their failure to do the requested chore. The math grade is great, but it is irrelevant to the trash issue. The child is using this statement to distract attention away from the core issue.

Second Example #

"During a discussion about whether the school should have a dress code, someone says, “Instead of worrying about clothes, we should be concerned about the bullying problem!”

The Flaw #

Bullying is a serious issue, but bringing it up doesn’t address the question about dress codes, it simply distracts away from it. Both topics can be important and should be addressed separately.