BSL 4080
Unit III Case Study
Columbia Southern University
BSL 4080 Creative Thinking and Problem Solving
Unit III Case Study
Whether you are a manager or an employee, it is important to avoid fallacies that do not
provide the legitimacy needed to make a sound argument. A fallacy is a mistaken belief,
especially one based on an unsound argument. From the standpoint of logical thinking is a
failure in reasoning in which renders the argument invalid. Learning how to recognize and avoid
fallacies will make you less likely to fall victim to faulty arguments[ CITATION Hus19 \l
1033 ]. There are many strategies to help avoid fallacies in the workplace which we will discuss
throughout this paper. We start with an easy one, Know yourself. This strategy seems easy and
is a cardinal rule for good critical thinking but can make you vulnerable if you do not recognize
the ones you are most likely to fall for. Improving your self-confidence and self-esteem will
make you less likely to give into behavior like peer pressure or the fallacy of popular appeal
[ CITATION Unk20 \l 1033 ]. People who have self-confidence do not become defensive or
back down when fallacies are used. Developing good listening skills is the next strategy for
avoiding fallacies even when you may disagree with the sender. I often say to people to we must
try to listen to understand rather than listen to respond. Allowing the person to finish their
argument even when fallacies are present keeps the person from becoming defensive. If a fallacy
is present, point it out after they have finished but remain respectful. If their argument is weak
ask for supporting evidence of their position rather than dismissing it.
The next strategy is to avoid all ambiguous or vague terms. Ensure you are clearly
defining the key terms of your argument. If there is something unclear, do not be afraid to ask
questions or ask the person to rephrase their argument. While it sounds like the first strategy of
Unit III Case Study
Columbia Southern University
BSL 4080 Creative Thinking and Problem Solving
Unit III Case Study
Whether you are a manager or an employee, it is important to avoid fallacies that do not
provide the legitimacy needed to make a sound argument. A fallacy is a mistaken belief,
especially one based on an unsound argument. From the standpoint of logical thinking is a
failure in reasoning in which renders the argument invalid. Learning how to recognize and avoid
fallacies will make you less likely to fall victim to faulty arguments[ CITATION Hus19 \l
1033 ]. There are many strategies to help avoid fallacies in the workplace which we will discuss
throughout this paper. We start with an easy one, Know yourself. This strategy seems easy and
is a cardinal rule for good critical thinking but can make you vulnerable if you do not recognize
the ones you are most likely to fall for. Improving your self-confidence and self-esteem will
make you less likely to give into behavior like peer pressure or the fallacy of popular appeal
[ CITATION Unk20 \l 1033 ]. People who have self-confidence do not become defensive or
back down when fallacies are used. Developing good listening skills is the next strategy for
avoiding fallacies even when you may disagree with the sender. I often say to people to we must
try to listen to understand rather than listen to respond. Allowing the person to finish their
argument even when fallacies are present keeps the person from becoming defensive. If a fallacy
is present, point it out after they have finished but remain respectful. If their argument is weak
ask for supporting evidence of their position rather than dismissing it.
The next strategy is to avoid all ambiguous or vague terms. Ensure you are clearly
defining the key terms of your argument. If there is something unclear, do not be afraid to ask
questions or ask the person to rephrase their argument. While it sounds like the first strategy of
