something that's quite common these days, even among the intelligent.
the Genetic Fallacy.
@holon42 I'm not sure the examples they gave were great ones, but sure.
yes, not the deepest examples, i agree. KISS, i suppose.
there are fuller examples available with google, if anyone wants to pursue it.
@holon42 I heartily support anyone reading up on logical fallacies.
Every fallacy has a basis in cognitive bias, and cognitive biases have instincts behind them. So they occur in parts of the brain that we don't realize are working on us.
We can compensate by understanding those biases so we can recognize them in ourselves and others.