What is a red herring logical fallacy?

You won’t need a fishing rod to identify red herrings in your writing, but these logical fallacies might seem a bit fishy to your audience. Improve your writing by learning how to recognize these faulty arguments.

What is a red herring logical fallacy?

A red herring uses misleading information to redirect away from the original topic. Often, people use red herrings unintentionally, but these logical fallacies may also be used intentionally to distract from the main topic of an argument. In literature, red herrings are used to keep readers in suspense. For all other types of writing, you’ll need to understand how red herrings appear in rhetoric.

Write with Confidence using Editor

Elevate your writing with real-time, intelligent assistance

Learn more

Red herrings fall under the category of informal fallacies, unfounded fallacies that lack a logical premise. Other informal fallacies, like a straw man argument, also distract from the main premise of an argument. Although similar to a red herring, a straw man argument mischaracterizes the opposing opinion to win a debate. While red herrings distract from the main point of an argument, they don’t distort reality.

“When used in literature, television, or movies, red herrings create suspense by distracting the audience.”

How do people use red herrings?

People use red herrings in debates, speeches, casual conversations, persuasive essays, and literature. When used in literature, television, or movies, red herrings create suspense by distracting the audience. For example, in a psychological thriller movie, a suspicious neighbor may be introduced as a red herring to make the audience believe they’re a source of danger. The character distracts the audience from discovering the true antagonist.

When used in rhetoric, a red herring refers to irrelevant information used in an argument or conversation to distract from the main point. Red herrings can be used in a wide range of situations, from everyday conversations to serious business deals. Although it’s tempting to use a red herring to try to win an argument, it can weaken the integrity of your assertions, especially in your writing. Strong, persuasive writing goes beyond following grammar rules.

Where did red herring originate?

Although a red herring isn’t a type of fish, for many years people believed the phrase originated from a type of cured herring used to train hunting dogs. However, over time research showed that the original use of the phrase came from training horses to not be distracted by other smells while hunting. The first known example of the phrase being used figurately was in 1807 when a journalist used the phrase to critique press coverage of Napoleon’s defeat.

Examples of red herrings

Whether you’re writing a persuasive essay or trying to win an everyday argument, consider the relevance of all information you include. Red herrings appear when you add unnecessary and distracting details to your rhetoric. Spotting a red herring in your first draft might not always be easy, but these examples show how simple it can be.

Your professor brings up your poor performance on your last English exam and you bring up your stellar grades in biology.
A politician addresses a recent personal scandal by pivoting to a discussion on the latest public transportation budget.
An employer distracts from a conversation about increasing salaries by mentioning recent awards the company has won.

While grammar and spell check programs can help your fix mistakes in your writing, you’ll have to spot logical fallacies like red herrings on your own. Learning how to eliminate distracting elements in your writing will help you clearly communicate your ideas to your intended audience.