Loaded Words: Using Manipulation to Win an Argument [#FallacyFridays]
Welcome to #FallacyFridays! Fridays are for learning the flaws we make in our arguments. Though these posts are written every Friday, any day is a good day to learn about the flaws in our logic that we should try to avoid. Today’s logical fallacy is extremely common. It’s all about loaded words. Make sure to read all the way to the end so you can take the quiz that tests your understanding of the fallacy. 🤓
But before we get into it, I want you to know about a tool that may help you understand this and other fallacies. I know that some people learn better by writing or typing. If that is you, download this FREE digital copy of “#FallacyFridays: The Workbook.” It was designed to follow alongside #FallacyFridays lessons in order for you to better understand logical fallacies.
What Is the Loaded Words Fallacy?
There’s a reason why clickbait and charged headlines get shared and clicked on with ease: the writers put “loaded words” in the titles because they bring about strong emotional reactions.
As a little exercise, type in “Ben Shapiro destroys” in the YouTube search bar. Notice how the headline is written? “DESTROYS” is in all caps. In all of those videos, Ben is debating or discussing with another individual who holds views opposite to his own. These videos are posted by people who clearly value Ben’s thoughts on different matters. And they see that Ben’s compelling arguments = destruction.
But if the title writer were to write “Ben Shapiro offers compelling arguments against left-leaning college students’ views,” it doesn’t have the same pizzazz as “Ben Shapiro DESTROYS Every College Snowflake” (yes, this is an actual title on YouTube). The goal is to get people to click. To appeal to the person’s curiosity. And perhaps to assert that Ben’s argument was superior and sway the viewer’s mind and emotions in that direction.
The opposite is also true. If I deliberately down-play the actuality of a particular scenario in order to argue my viewpoint–attempting to sway my audience that it wasn’t as big of a deal as my opponent is making it–then I would be guilty of using loaded words, too.
The loaded words fallacy occurs when you rely on manipulative language (instead of facts or evidence) to convince your audience that your claim is true. This fallacy is also known as euphemisms, appeal to/argument from emotive language, or loaded language.
The loaded words fallacy relies on manipulating your audience to accept your viewpoint instead of relying on facts. Click To TweetExamples of the Loaded Words Fallacy.
The next few sentences will have “unloaded” versions of their arguments alongside the “loaded” versions of them (i.e. the fallacious ones).
Example #1
Unloaded: Dan should be more mindful of what he feeds his son, Tim. Dan feeds him a lot of unhealthy food and Tim is at the risk of developing Type-2 diabetes.
Loaded: Dan keeps feeding his son trash. He should stop.
In this above example, “trash” was the loaded term for “unhealthy food.” Also notice in the “loaded” example that no justification was given. Only that it was “trash.” Meanwhile, the unloaded version explained that Tim was at the risk of developing diabetes, providing a reason why Dan should be mindful.
Example #2
Unloaded: Margo smashed the glass jar on her desk, yelled, and cried when she found out Mike cheated on her. I think it’s safe to say that she is upset with his infidelity.
Loaded: Margo was not happy when she found out about Mike’s behavior but I don’t think it was a big deal.
Now this would be an example of someone downplaying the gravity of a situation. Saying “Margo was not happy” and “Mike’s behavior” and concluding it’s not a big deal will sway the audience to think so too. However, the unloaded version details her behavior and what exactly Mike did, sufficiently showing that she was upset and that Mike’s behavior was a big deal.
💡Key Point: The loaded words fallacy has two things: manipulative language and a lack of evidence.
Quiz Time!
Now that you’ve learned what the loaded words fallacy is, here’s a quiz to test your understanding. Which one of the following answer choices most likely contains the loaded words fallacy?
A. Money is the key to happiness.
B. Ruth’s poise and charisma are just two of many reasons why she makes such a great TV personality.
C. Combination birth control pills boast up to 99% effectiveness against pregnancies.
D. The parties involved engaged in non-consensual sex.
Input your answer choice below! 👇🏾
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