Need help prepping for an argument, or just want to double check your philosophy homework? Here you'll find 15 of the most common logical fallacies.

15Logical Fallacies You Should Know Before Getting Into a Debate

Logical fallacies are flawed, deceptive, or false arguments that can be proven wrong with reasoning. These are the most common fallacies you should know about.Arguments and debates are an important part of college and academic discourse. But not every argument is perfect. Some can be picked apart because they have errors in reasoning and rhetoric. These are called "logical fallacies," and they're very common. You'll hear logical fallacies in the classroom, during televised debates, and in arguments with your friends. It can even be challenging to avoid using them yourself.

What Is A Logical Fallacy

Logical fallacies are flawed, deceptive, or false arguments that can be proven wrong with reasoning. There are two main types of fallacies: -A formal fallacy is an argument with a premise and conclusion that doesn't hold up to scrutiny.-An informal fallacy is an error in the form, content, or context of the argument.

Two Main Types Of Logical Fallacies

TABLE OF CONTENTS<ol><li>Ad Hominem</li><li>Strawman Argument</li><li>Appeal to Ignorance</li><li>False Dilemma</li><li>Slippery Slope Fallacy</li><li>Circular Argument</li><li>Hasty Generalization</li><li>Red Herring Fallacy</li><li>Appeal to Hypocrisy</li><li>Causal Fallacy</li><li>Fallacy of Sunk Costs</li><li>Appeal to Authority</li><li>Equivocation</li><li>Appeal to Pity</li><li>Bandwagon Fallacy</li></ol>

Types Of Logical Fallacy

An ad hominem fallacy uses personal attacks rather than logic. This fallacy occurs when someone rejects or criticizes another point of view based on the personal characteristics, ethnic background, physical appearance, or other non-relevant traits of the person who holds it. Ad hominem arguments are often used in politics, where they are often called "mudslinging." They are considered unethical because politicians can use them to manipulate voters' opinions against an opponent without addressing core issues.

Ad Hominem

A straw man argument attacks a different subject rather than the topic being discussed — often a more extreme version of the counter argument. The purpose of this misdirection is to make one's position look stronger than it actually is. The straw man argument is appropriately named after a harmless, lifeless scarecrow. Instead of contending with the actual argument, they attack the equivalent of a lifeless bundle of straw — an easily defeated puppet that the opponent was never arguing for in the first place.

Straw Man

An appeal to ignorance (also known as an "argument from ignorance") argues that a proposition must be true because it has not been proven false or there is no evidence against it. The argument can be used to bolster multiple contradictory conclusions at once, such as the following two claims: "No one has ever been able to prove that extraterrestrials exist, so they must not be real.""No one has ever been able to prove that extraterrestrials do not exist, so they must be real."An appeal to ignorance doesn't prove anything. Instead, it shifts the need for proof away from the person making a claim.

Appeal to Ignorance

A false dilemma or false dichotomy presents limited options — typically by focusing on two extremes — when in fact more possibilities exist. The phrase "America: Love it or leave it" is an example of a false dilemma. The false dilemma fallacy is a manipulative tool designed to polarize the audience, promoting one side and demonizing another. It's common in political discourse as a way of strong-arming the public into supporting controversial legislation or policies.

False Dilemma/False Dichotomy

A slippery slope argument assumes that a certain course of action will necessarily lead to a chain of future events. The slippery slope fallacy takes a benign premise or starting point and suggests that it will lead to unlikely or ridiculous outcomes with no supporting evidence. You may have used this fallacy on your parents as a teenager: "But you have to let me go to the party! If I don't go to the party, I'll be a loser with no friends. Next thing you know, I'll end up alone and jobless, living in your basement when I'm 30!"

Slippery Slope

Circular arguments occur when a person's argument repeats what they already assumed before without arriving at a new conclusion. For example, if someone says, "According to my brain, my brain is reliable," that's a circular argument. Circular arguments often use a claim as both a premise and a conclusion. This fallacy only appears to be an argument when in fact it's just restating one's assumptions.

Circular Argument

A hasty generalization is a claim based on a few examples rather than substantial proof. Arguments based on hasty generalizations often don't hold up due to a lack of supporting evidence: The claim might be true in one case, but that doesn't mean it's always true.Hasty generalizations are common in arguments because there's a wide range of what's acceptable for "sufficient" evidence.

Hasty Generalization

A red herring is an argument that uses confusion or distraction to shift attention away from a topic and toward a false conclusion. Red herrings usually contain an unimportant fact, idea, or event that has little relevance to the real issue. Red herrings are a common diversionary tactic when someone wants to shift the focus of an argument to something easier or safer to address. But red herrings can also be unintentional.

Red Herring

An appeal to hypocrisy — also known as the tu quoque fallacy — focuses on the hypocrisy of an opponent. The tu quoque fallacy deflects criticism away from oneself by accusing the other person of the same problem or something comparable. The tu quoque fallacy is an attempt to divert blame. The fallacy usually occurs when the arguer uses apparent hypocrisy to neutralize criticism and distract from the issue.

Appeal to Hypocrisy

Causal fallacies are informal fallacies that occur when an argument incorrectly concludes that a cause is related to an effect. Think of the causal fallacy as a parent category for other fallacies about unproven causes. One example is the false cause fallacy, which is when you draw a conclusion about what the cause was without enough evidence to do so. Another is the post hoc fallacy, which is when you mistake something for the cause because it came first — not because it actually caused the effect.

Causal Fallacy

A sunk cost fallacy is when someone continues doing something because of the effort they already put in it, regardless of whether the additional costs outweigh the potential benefits. "Sunk cost" is an economic term for any past expenses that can no longer be recovered. For example: Imagine that after watching the first six episodes of a TV show, you decide the show isn't for you. Those six episodes are your "sunk cost." A sunk cost fallacy would be deciding to finish watching anyway because you've already invested roughly six hours of your life in it.

Sunk Cost

Appeal to authority is the misuse of an authority's opinion to support an argument. While an authority's opinion can represent evidence and data, it becomes a fallacy if their expertise or authority is overstated, illegitimate, or irrelevant to the topic. For example, citing a foot doctor when trying to prove something related to psychiatry would be an appeal to authority fallacy.

Appeal to Authority

Equivocation happens when a word, phrase, or sentence is used deliberately to confuse, deceive, or mislead. In other words, saying one thing but meaning another. When it's poetic or comical, we call this a "play on words." But when it's done in a political speech, an ethics debate, or an economics report — and it's designed to make the audience think you're saying something you're not — that's when it becomes a fallacy.

Equivocation

An appeal to pity relies on provoking your emotions to win an argument rather than factual evidence. Appealing to pity attempts to pull on an audience's heartstrings, distract them, and support their point of view. Someone accused of a crime using a cane or walker to appear more feeble in front of a jury is one example of appeal to pity. The appearance of disability isn't an argument on the merits of the case, but it's intended to sway the jury's opinion anyway.

Appeal to Pity

The bandwagon fallacy assumes something is true (or right or good) because others agree with it. In other words, the fallacy argues that if everyone thinks a certain way, then you should, too. One problem with this kind of reasoning is that the broad acceptance of a claim or action doesn't mean that it's factually justified. People can be mistaken, confused, deceived, or even willfully irrational in their opinions, so using them to make an argument is flawed.

Bandwagon Fallacy

I hope this primer on logical fallacies helps you to navigate future disputes with friends, family, and online acquaintances without descending into vitriol or childish name-calling. Knowing your logical fallacies can also help when you're working on your next research paper. You may want to brush up on controversial research topics while you're at it, so you're even more prepared.

Final Word

Whether you have a paper to write about logical fallacies or don't want to accidentally include them in your next persuasive essay, we're highlighting the top logical fallacies you need to know.

Understand yourself and those around you.

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Psychology

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Philosophy

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Personal Development

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Problem Solving

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Communication

15 Logical Fallacies You Should Know Before Getting Into a Debate - TheBestSchools.org

There is nothing in Einstein’s theories of <a href="http://www.astronomytrek.com/black-holes-relativity-and-time-travel/">relativity </a>to rule out <a href="http://www.astronomytrek.com/interesting-facts-about-time-the-fourth-dimension-and-time-travel/">time travel </a>, although the very notion of <a href="http://www.astronomytrek.com/is-traveling-back-through-time-possible/">traveling to the past </a>violates one of the most fundamental premises of physics, that of causality. With the laws of cause and effect out the window, there naturally arises a number of inconsistencies associated with time travel, and listed here are some of those paradoxes which have given both scientist and <a href="http://www.astronomytrek.com/10-notable-time-travel-movies-of-the-21st-century/">time travel movie </a>buffs alike more than a few sleepless nights over the years. The <a href="http://www.astronomytrek.com/7-profound-questions-about-time/">time </a>travel paradoxes which follow fall into two broad categories:

Background 

1) Closed Causal Loops, such as the Predestination Paradox and the Bootstrap Paradox, which involve a self-existing time loop in which cause and effect run in a repeating circle, but is also internally consistent with the timeline’s history.2) Consistency Paradoxes, such as the Grandfather Paradox and other similar variants such as The Hitler paradox, and Polchinski’s Paradox, which generate a number of timeline inconsistencies related to the possibility of altering the past.

2 Categories Of Time Travel Paradoxes 

A <a href="http://www.astronomytrek.com/time-travel-the-predestination-paradox-explained/">Predestination Paradox </a>occurs when the actions of a person traveling back in time becomes part of past events, and may ultimately causes the event he is trying to prevent to take place.Imagine that your lover dies in a hit-and-run car accident, and you travel back in time to save her from her fate, only to find that on your way to the accident you are the one who accidentally runs her over. Your attempt to change the past has therefore resulted in a predestination paradox. Any attempts to stop something from happening in the past will simply lead to the cause itself.

1: Predestination Paradox

A <a href="http://www.astronomytrek.com/the-bootstrap-paradox-explained/">Bootstrap Paradox </a>is a type of paradox in which an object, person, or piece of information sent back in time results in an infinite loop where the object has no discernible origin, and exists without ever being created. A bootstrap paradox involving a person: a 20 year old male time traveler who goes back 21 years, meets a woman, has an affair, and returns home three months later without knowing the woman was pregnant. Her child grows up to be the 20 year old time traveler, who travels back 21 years through time, meets a woman, and so on.

2: Bootstrap/ Ontological Paradox

For example, if you traveled to the past and killed your grandfather, you would never have been born and would not have been able to travel to the past – a paradox. Let’s say you did decide to kill your grandfather because he created a dynasty that ruined the world. You figure if you knock him off before he meets your grandmother then the whole family line (including you) will vanish and the world will be a better place.

3: Grandfather Paradox

Similar to the Grandfather Paradox which paradoxically prevents your birth, the Killing Hitler paradox erases your reason for going back in time to kill him. Furthermore, while killing Grandpa might have a limited “butterfly effect”, killing Hitler would have wider consequences for everyone in the world, even just studying him in school. The paradox itself arises from the idea that if you were successful, then there would be no reason to time travel in the first place. If you killed Hitler then none of his actions would trickle down through history and cause you to want to make the attempt.

4: Let’s Kill Hitler Paradox

American theoretical physicist Joseph Polchinski proposed a time paradox scenario in which a billiard ball enters a wormhole, and emerges out the other end in the past just in time to collide with its younger version and stop it going into the wormhole in the first place.Solutions have been formulated to avoid the inconsistencies Polchinski suggested, essentially involving the billiard ball delivering a blow which changes its younger version’s course, but not enough to stop it entering the wormhole. This solution is related to the ‘timeline-protection hypothesis’

5: Polchinski’s Paradox

A self-fulfilling prophecy is only a causality loop when the prophecy is truly known to happen and events in the future cause effects in the past, otherwise the phenomenon is not so much a paradox as a case of cause and effect. Say, for instance, an authority figure states that something is inevitable, proper, and true, convincing everyone through persuasive style. People, completely convinced through rhetoric, begin to behave as if the prediction were already true, and consequently bring it about through their actions.

Are Self-fulfilling Prophecies Paradoxes?

The Butterfly Effect is a reference to Chaos Theory where seemingly trivial changes can have huge cascade reactions over long periods of time. Consequently, the Timeline corruption hypothesis states that time paradoxes are an unavoidable consequence of time travel, and even insignificant changes may be enough to alter history completely.

Are Time Paradoxes Inevitable?

In one story, a paleontologist, with the help of a time travel device, travels back to the Jurassic Period to get photographs of Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Ceratosaurus, and Allosaurus amongst other dinosaurs. He knows he can’t take samples so he just takes magnificent pictures from the fixed platform that is positioned precisely to not change anything about the environment. His assistant is about to pick a long blade of grass, but he stops him and explains how nothing must change because of their presence.

The Story of The Paleontologist 

They finish what they are doing and return to the present, but everything is gone. They reappear in a wild world with no humans, and no signs that they ever existed. They fall to the floor of their platform, the only man-made thing in the whole world, and lament “Why? We didn’t change anything!” And there on the heel of the scientist’s shoe is a crushed butterfly.

The Story Of The Paleontologist Cont.

Scientists have suggested ingenious ways to avoid time travel paradoxes, including–The Solution: time travel is impossible due to the very paradox it creates–Self-healing hypothesis: successfully altering events in the past will set off another set of events which will cause the present to remain the same–The Multiverse /“many-worlds” hypothesis: an alternate parallel universe or timeline is created each time an event is altered in the past–Erased timeline hypothesis : a person traveling to the past would exist in the new timeline, but have their own timeline erased

Solutions

I have always been interested in the concept of time and time travel, as it is always as mind boggling as it is simple, and this article I found useful to introduce paradoxes which arise as part of time travel.

Time paradoxes, whether to the past or future, are an inherent feature of time travel, exemplified by the grandfather paradox and the bootstrap paradox.

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Science & Nature

5 Bizarre Paradoxes Of Time Travel Explained

The critical inner voice is a well-integrated pattern of destructive thoughts toward ourselves and others. The nagging “voices,” or thoughts, that make up this internalized dialogue are at the root of much of our self-destructive and maladaptive behavior.The critical inner voice is not an auditory hallucination; it is experienced as thoughts within your head. This stream of destructive thoughts forms an anti-self that discourages individuals from acting in their best interest.

What is the Critical Inner Voice?

The critical inner voice is an internal enemy that can affect every aspect of our lives, including our self-esteem and confidence, our personal and intimate relationships, and our performance and accomplishments at school and work. These negative thoughts affect us by undermining our positive feelings about ourselves and others and fostering self-criticism, inwardness, distrust, self-denial, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161024002451/https://www.psychalive.org/addictions/">addictions</a> and a retreat from goal-directed activities.

How Does the Critical Inner Voice Affect Us?

Some common voices include thoughts like “You’re stupid,” “You’re not attractive,” or “You’re not like other people.”Some people have voices about their career, like “You’ll never be successful,” “No one appreciates how hard you work,” or “You are under too much pressure, you can’t handle this stress.”Many people experience voices about their relationship, such as “He doesn’t really care about you,” “You’re better off on your own,” or “Don’t be vulnerable, you’ll just get hurt.”

What Are Some Examples of Common Critical Inner Voices?

These inner voices usually come from early life experiences that are internalized and taken in as ways we think about ourselves. Often, many of these negative voices come from our parents or primary care takers, as children we pick up on the negative attitudes that parents not only have towards their children but also toward themselves. Our voices can also come from interactions with peers and siblings, or influential adults.

Where Do Critical Inner Voices Come From?

Many people think if they stop listening to their critical inner voice, they will lose touch with their conscience. However, the critical inner voice is not a trustworthy moral guide like a conscience. On the contrary, the critical inner voice is degrading and punishing and often leads us to make unhealthy decisions. These negative voices tend to increase our feelings of self-hatred without motivating us to change undesirable qualities or act in a constructive manner.

How is the Critical Inner Voice Different Than a Conscience?

In order to take power over this destructive thought process, you must first become conscious of what your inner voice is telling you so you can stop it from ruining your life. To identify this, it is helpful to pay attention to when you suddenly slip into a <a href="https://www.psychalive.org/bad-mood/">bad mood </a>or become upset, often these negative shifts in emotion are a result of a critical inner voice. Once you identify the thought process and pinpoint the negative actions it is advocating, you can take control over your inner voice by consciously deciding not to listen. Instead you can the actions that are in your best interest.

How Can I Conquer My Critical Inner Voice?

The critical inner voice is a pattern of destructive thoughts toward ourselves and others. This inner voice often leads to self-destructive and harmful behavior.

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Mental Health

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝙸𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚅𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝙴𝚡𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍

Knowing that what you do cannot change who you are promotes freedom in how you want to live, freedom not just from others, but also from <a href="https://tinybuddha.com/blog/how-lowering-our-expectations-helps-us-do-what-we-really-want-to-do/">expectations </a>and doubt. Knowing you always have worth allows yourself to connect with the people around you more deeply, empathize with them, and support their journeys through life. It is with this knowledge you can find and share true joy.

Believe In Yourself To Believe Your Worth And Be Happy.

One has to look inside more to explore one's talent and skills.

Our worth isn't based on what we accomplish or what anyone else thinks of us, and we have nothing to prove to anyone.

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Motivation & Inspiration

habits

Habits

Why I Stopped Measuring My Self-Worth and Trying to Prove Myself - Tiny Buddha

Many people have the experience that people don't listen to them when they speak. This is because we often fall into bad speaking habits. However, with some practice, we can learn to create sound consciously and speak powerfully.

Speaking so that people want to listen

<ol>
<li>Gossiping. Speaking ill of somebody who is not present</li>
<li>Judging. It's hard to listen to somebody if you know you're being judged and found wanting.</li>
<li>Negativity.</li>
<li>Complaining. We complain about sport, politics, the weather.</li>
<li>Excuses. Some people will blame everybody else and won't take any responsibility for their actions.</li>
<li>Exaggeration. Exaggeration becomes lying. No one wants to listen to people who are lying.</li>
<li>Dogmatism, which is confusing facts with opinions. It isn't easy to listen when someone is bombarding you with their views as if they were true.</li>
</ol>

The seven deadly sins of speaking

<ul>
<li>H - Honesty. Being true and clear in what you say</li>
<li>A - Authenticity, which is just being yourself.</li>
<li>I - Integrity, which is actually doing what you say and being somebody people can trust.</li>
<li>L - Love. If you wish somebody well, it's very difficult to judge them.</li>
</ul>

How to make your speech powerful - HAIL

<ul><li>Register. If you want weight, locate your voice down to the chest.</li><li>Timbre. We prefer rich, smooth, warm voices. A voice coach can help with breathing, posture, and exercises.</li><li>Prosody is the sing-song meta-language we use to impart meaning. People who speak on one note are really hard to listen to. </li><li>Pace. We speak faster when we get excited or slow down to emphasise. Silence instead of "ums" can be very powerful.</li><li>Pitch. Speaking with a higher pitch impart a different meaning than a lower pitch.</li><li>Volume. You can sound very excited by using volume, or you have to pay attention by getting very quiet.</li></ul>

The voice toolbox - how you say it

Whenever you’re going to talk to anybody important, do these six vocal warm-up exercises.
<ol>
<li>Arms up, deep breath in, and sigh out. Repeat.</li>
<li>Warm up your lips by saying Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba.</li>
<li>Then say brrrrrrrr, like a kid.</li>
<li>Say la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. </li>
<li>Roll an R. Rrrrrrrrr.</li>
<li>Say “we” high and “aw” low. Weeeaawww, weeeaawww.</li>
</ol>

How to warm up your voice

Tips on how you can become a master public speaker

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Books

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Videos

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Career

Master Public Speaking

Visit http://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. Have you ever felt like you're talking, but nobody is listening? Here's Julian Treasure to help you fix that. As the sound expert demonstrates some useful vocal exercises and shares tips on how to speak with empathy, he offers his vision for a sonorous world of listening and understanding. The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. Follow TED on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TEDTalks Like TED on Facebook: http://facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://youtube.com/TED TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com

Visit http://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

Have you ever felt like you're talking, but nobody is listening? Here's Julian Treasure to help you fix that. As the sound expert demonstrates some useful vocal exercises and shares tips on how to speak with empathy, he offers his vision for a sonorous world of listening and understanding.

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. 

Follow TED on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TEDTalks
Like TED on Facebook: http://facebook.com/TED
Subscribe to our channel: http://youtube.com/TED

TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know.

TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com

How to speak so that people want to listen | Julian Treasure

Certainly, networking requires some self-promotion; otherwise, it would be nearly impossible to determine who has similar backgrounds and interests. Unfortunately, some see networking as an opportunity to take self-promotion to the extreme, giving everyone they meet the “hard sell.”
The goal of these hard sellers is to try to impress as many people as possible by talking about themselves as much as possible. This often produces the opposite of their intended results, as many are turned off by braggarts who show little interest in others.

The Hard Seller

While hard sellers will network with anyone willing to listen to them talk about their favourite subject (themselves), self-servers are only willing to network with those who they believe can help advance their careers. Once they target someone, they may also prove to be hard sellers.
However, if self-servers discover that the person they’re speaking with doesn’t have the professional clout they originally thought, they won’t waste another second before abruptly ending the conversation and searching for someone with the credentials necessary to further their career goals.

The Self Server

It’s imperative to demonstrate strong communication skills from the first interaction. Job seekers who use poor grammar, talk too much or too little or appear socially awkward or reluctant to answer questions about their background may raise concerns about their ability to communicate with coworkers, managers or clients once hired. 
While socializing may pose a challenge to introverts, it’s only the first of many hurdles they must clear during the job search process.

The Poor Communicator

Many people judge others on their appearance, and job seekers who attend networking events dressed sloppily or inappropriately are starting off on the wrong foot. Attire and grooming habits are often taken into account, as is the ability to give a proper handshake and personal introduction.
Also, if alcohol is served, overindulging can be seen as a red flag and could easily kill potential job offers. Job seekers should always be cognizant of how they’re being perceived by those with whom they hope to form lasting professional relationships.

The Bad First Impression

Those who fail to follow up, who call at the wrong time, or who simply forget to call prove that their reliability is questionable, and recommending them for employment becomes a risk if they were to show similar unreliability at work.
Also, sending a thank-you note to those who go out of their way to help is always a good practice, whereas failing to acknowledge their effort may appear selfish or inconsiderate.

Failure To Follow Up

From resume writing to interview questions, Our ultimate guide to help you find the job you love

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Teamwork

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Leadership & Management

A Job Seeker's Guide

Let’s look at a few networking mistakes job seekers often make, and how they can damage their prospects

Regardless of the role or industry, nearly every job requires networking in some form in order to be successful. No matter how talented a business owner

5 Networking Mistakes Job Seekers Make

There are only two communication states: actively listening, and not really listening. Active listening requires us to understand, interpret, and evaluate what we're being told.Our attention should be on the speaker and when we get the urge to say something, we stop this urge and instead concentrate on what's being said.

Active Listening

Active listening is the key to empathy and relationship building but the authors explain that by actively listening — we:<ul><li>encourage people to open up</li><li>reduce the chances for misunderstanding</li><li>are more able to resolve problems and conflicts</li><li>build trust further</li></ul>

The Importance of Active Listening

"Speaking is one person reaching out, and listening is another person accepting and taking hold. Together, they form communication, and this is the basis of all human relationships."

<ol><li>Ignorance and delusion</li><li>Reluctance</li><li>Bias and prejudice</li><li>Lack of interest</li><li>Opinion of the speaker</li><li>Own feelings</li><li>Wrong time and wrong place</li></ol>

The 7 Common Barriers to Active Listening

<ol><li>Acceptance - means trying to avoid expressing agreement or disagreement, at least initially. </li><li>Honesty - means that you're down to being open about your reactions, similar to acceptance — honest reactions given too soon can stifle further explanation on the part of the speaker</li><li>Empathy - is your ability to understand their situation on an emotional level </li><li>Specifics - refers to the need to deal in details rather than generalities</li></ol>

The 4 Components of Active Listening

<ol><li>Minimize external distractions</li><li>Face the speaker</li><li>Maintain eye contact</li><li>Focus on the speaker</li><li>Be open-minded</li><li>Be sincerely interested</li><li>Have sympathy, feel empathy</li><li>Assess the emotion, not just the words</li><li>Respond appropriately</li><li>Minimize internal distractions</li><li>Avoid "me" stories</li><li>Don't be afraid of silence</li><li>Take notes</li><li>Practice emotional intelligence</li><li>Check your understanding</li></ol>

How To Improve Your Active Listening Skills

Reflective listening is concerned with how you process what you've heard. All four components of active listening are put into work towards creating reflective responses. The main principles of active listening are:<ul><li>Listen more than you talk</li><li>Deal with personal specifics, not impersonal generalities</li><li>Decipher the feelings behind the words to create a better understanding of the issues</li><li>restate and clarify what you've heard</li><li>Understand the speaker's point of view and avoid responding from your own viewpoint</li><li>Respond with acceptance and empathy, not coldly or with fake concern</li></ul>

The Main Principles of Reflective Listening

Understanding more about the common barriers to active listening – and how to best overcome these – are the biggest lessons you'll learn from this book.

This updated and expanded second edition of the The Art of Active Listening: How to Double Your Communication Skills in 30 Days provides a user-friendly introduction to the subject Taking a clear structural framework, it guides the reader through the subject's core elements. A flowing writing style combines with the use of illustrations and diagrams throughout the text to ensure the reader understands even the most complex of concepts. This succinct and enlightening overview is a required reading for all those interested in the subject . We hope you find this book useful in shaping your future career & Business.

Lewis Lyons

The Art of Active Listening

Earlier this week, I had a feedback experience that shook me up a bit. I was halfway through my course preparation task for my boss’ <a href="http://buzzedison.co/">business coaching </a>brand when I decided to get feedback on what I had done. To be honest, I was really proud of what I had done so far and I was convinced my boss was going to like it too. Sike! I was wrong.My boss took one good look at the work and said it wasn’t good enough and that I had veered off the task. I was heartbroken, to say the least. The time I had invested, the research I thought I had done so well, all gone down the drain.

Experience Is The Best Teacher They Say

I refused to accept it. I tried to defend my work, tried to get him to see some good in what I was presenting. But he knew what he wanted in that course and I was nowhere near what was required.Eventually, I gave up my defending and listened to his corrections and suggestions. Honestly, at that moment, I lost hope for the task and started taking his feedback with a pinch of salt.

Later in the day (after I had taken a much-needed power nap to calm my boiling nerves) I sat down to analyze the feedback my boss had given me and realized he was right after all. I had veered off the work and I would have wasted more time on it if I hadn’t asked for his candid feedback. I started the task all over again, this time with a clearer mind, and when I went back for his feedback a second time, he found the work satisfactory.

The After Nap Realisation

As human beings, we never like to be in the wrong. We are more receptive to positive feedback and praise. In the world of work, however, things are not always dandy.In order to do work that matters and get results, you need to be good at accepting and giving feedback to and from your teammates, your managers, and even yourself.

We All Need To Suck It Up Sometimes

Yes, feedback is sometimes a form of criticism, but the goal is different from actual criticism.Criticism just highlights how someone or something is at fault, without giving ways it can be made better. Feedback is meant to do the exact opposite. While criticism focuses on weaknesses, feedback is meant to build strengths. Criticism deflates morale, feedback inspires. While criticism points to you as the problem, feedback finds ways to make things better.

Let’s get this clear: Feedback and criticism Are Different

I read a quote in an article on Medium that said “The value of feedback is measured at the other person’s ear, not at your mouth”. This just means that you should always be mindful of how you frame your feedback because it is meant for the receiving party, not you. And if the understanding of your feedback is muddled, it will defeat its purpose.

Giving Feedback

To give feedback that matters, you can apply the Radical Candor framework by Kim Scott. According to this framework, good feedback needs to be “care personally” but “challenge directly”. It needs to take a person’s feelings into consideration, but be straight to the point and incite the needed change. He calls this radical candor. By doing this, you can get the message across without hurting feelings or making people feel incapable.

The Radical Candor Framework

<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Don’t act nice, be kind</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Give relevant feedback before jumping into solving the problem</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Do not use the “sandwich” feedback method</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Make your feedback concrete</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Never make it about being right or wrong</li></ol>

How To Give Feedback Like A Pro

After you’ve given feedback, keep giving it and reinforcing it. Do not believe that just because you’ve told someone once that your task is complete. Your responsibility is to make sure the other party hears and understands the feedback. You must reinforce your comments and acknowledge any adjustments they make as a result of your feedback.

Being on the receiving end is twice as uncomfortable as being the giver. As I stated earlier, no one likes being told they are wrong about something. However, you need to come to terms with the fact that no one is perfect and learning is a never-ending process.Receiving feedback is just as important as giving it, if not more. It helps you to improve and get better at what you do if you are able to accept corrections and act on them.

Receiving Feedback 

<ol><li>Acknowledge the good elements</li><li>Pay attention to recurring feedback and work on correcting them</li><li>Ask questions and seek clarity</li><li>Don’t forget to say thank you</li><li>Always follow up </li></ol>

How To Receive Feedback Like A Pro

Always remember that feedback is there to correct and improve, not to highlight mistakes. Be graceful about how you give and receive feedback and remember to apply what you receive as early as possible and follow up as often as you can, Always remember that offering feedback sometimes says something about the one taking it, but it always says something about the person giving it. First, take a look at yourself, and then give criticism.

Wrapping Up

This article is based on my most recent feedback experience and what I learnt from it!

Giving and receiving constructive feedback in any situation can be an uncomfortable experience, depending on how intense the feedback is.

“Suck It Up”: A Guide To Giving And Receiving Feedback Like A Pro

If you’re not telling a compelling story, then you’re losing your audience before you’ve even started. Numbers and other data will make your audience believe but stories will make them engaged listeners.
There’s a big misnomer whereby people perceive storytelling as telling a little ice breaker or making some jokes. This isn’t the case. Storytelling actually dates back thousands of years in the form of artifacts and literature. It’s the way information was conveyed when language first originated in the cave days and that’s how our brains and communication developed.

The Importance Of Storytelling

One of the biggest mistakes that many people make is putting together disjointed pitch decks that are very heavy on numbers but don’t have a story element. Presentations have an overload of information with endless bullet points while still failing to highlight critical aspects such as the customer experience.Instead, go easy on the data. Don’t just add everything with the hope that something will stick. You should be giving a distilled, clear, concise view because you come across looking much smarter that way — and then let them ask you questions.

Too Much Information

The best way to highlight the problem is with a story. “You can weave the storytelling into the storytelling framework. Talk about your origin story. Where did you come up with the idea? What was the pain you identified in your lives or in the life of someone that you cared about?  Think about how your journey began and your inspiration to start. You can then expand it from your micro to the macro by introducing the bigger problem supported by relevant numbers to drive the point home.

The Best Approach To Create A Pitch Deck: The Problem and the Genesis

Ensure you can explain your product or solution simply in a solution statement. For example, “we do X for Y by Z.” It’s important that your solution statement is easy for anyone to understand. You can then show your audience a demo. Take them on the user journey and showcase your product through a user story because it’s a lot more impactful. “It could be a video. It could be screenshots. Use a real client if you can because it’s much more powerful.

Your Hero: The Product Or The Solution

You need to give a bit more insight into the business element by clearly explaining your business model, the market, the facts and figures, the competitive landscape, and the go-to-market strategy. People often start off with the hero’s plan as the first act, which isn’t the best route to take. While you absolutely want to highlight that there’s a big market among other factors that show the viability of your product or solution early on, you don’t have to get so deep into it at the very beginning.

The Hero’s Plan: The Business

This step details what the future looks like and the direction your business will take moving forward. “Where are you going? What’s your big vision? What will the company have shifted in the market when you are successful in three, five, or eight years from now?” Establish the different milestones that will get you to your destination, including the additional markets you’ll look to penetrate and everything you’ll need along the way to turn your vision into reality.

The Future: The Direction Of The Business

If you’re not telling a compelling story, then you’re losing your audience before you’ve even started. Learn how to create the perfect sales pitch deck!

How To Create The Perfect Pitch Deck ⎪Predictable Revenue

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How to speak so that people want to listen | Julian Treasure

5 Networking Mistakes Job Seekers Make

The Art of Active Listening

“Suck It Up”: A Guide To Giving And Receiving Feedback Like A Pro

How To Create The Perfect Pitch Deck ⎪Predictable Revenue

Imagine the Worst - Boston Review

It's time to Read like a Pro.

It's time to
Read like a Pro.