Appeal to Pity Fallacy Examples in Media, Real Life, Politics, News & Ads

Appeal to PityFallacy

What is Appeal to Pity Fallacy?

The Appeal to Pity Fallacy is a fallacy that occurs when someone uses pity or sympathy in order to get another person(s) to accept their conclusion. This fallacy can be committed in different ways, such as using emotional manipulation, playing on others’ guilty feelings, being overly dramatic, and so on.

The Appeal to Pity fallacy is a type of argument that relies on emotional reasoning or sympathy. It takes the form of an attack on a person’s character and asserts that someone’s claim is false because he/she holds some position that would be offensive or undesirable if true.

The Appeal to Pity fallacy is one of the most common fallacies in all of history. The fallacy occurs when one invokes feelings of pity or associated virtues (e.g., generosity, kindness, mercy) to win an argument.

It is considered a logical fallacy because the use of pity is an emotional appeal that does not provide any valid evidence or logical argument to substantiate it.

Appeal to Pity Fallacy Examples

Appeal to Pity Fallacy Examples in Philosophy

Examples of Appeal to  Pity Fallacy in Philosophy:

For instance, a person may ask their friend if they can borrow money because they are in dire need of it, but this is not an appropriate way to ask for help as it will put pressure on the friend who doesn’t have much money either.

Appeal to Pity Fallacy Real Life Examples

Examples of Appeal to Pity Fallacy in Real Life:

An example of Appeal to Pity Fallacy is when a person tries to convince another by making them feel sorry for the speaker (person asking) and asking them for help.

Appeal to Pity Fallacy Examples in Media

Examples of Pity  Fallacy in Media: 

Another example would be when someone asks you to donate some food or clothing items so that they can give them away to people who are less fortunate than themselves.

While these types of organizations do good work, there are many other ways that one could contribute without feeling pressured into giving something up from their own home or wallet.

Appeal to Pity Fallacy Examples in Advertising

Examples of Pity  Fallacy in advertising: 

•  “Please donate to our cause, and we need your help!”
•  “Your donation will go toward providing clean water for the children in Africa.”
• “We’re a small nonprofit organization with limited resources and no paid staff.”
•  “Donate now and save a life.”
•  “We’re asking for your help to provide shelter, food, and medicine.”
•  “You can’t afford to give!”

Appeal to Pity Fallacy Examples in Politics

Examples of Appeal to Pity Fallacy in politics:

Appeals to pity are often used in politics to gain support for an argument or proposition. This is because people who feel sorry for someone will want to help them out, and therefore be more likely to agree with their stance on the issue at hand.

An example of this fallacy can be seen in the following sentence:

“Please vote yes on Proposition A so that we can provide free healthcare to all those who cannot afford it.”

Appeal to Pity Fallacy in Movies

Examples of Appeal to Pity  Fallacy in Movies:

• The protagonist is a victim of circumstance or fate.
• The protagonist suffers from an illness, disability, or other physical condition.
• The protagonist has been wronged by society and seeks revenge.
• The protagonist is in dire need of money and/or assistance.

Appeal to Pity Fallacy Examples in Literature

Examples of Appeal to pity Fallacy in Literature:

• The protagonist’s mother is dying, and the protagonist begs her to stay alive.
• A man is in a car accident, and his wife pleads for him not to die.
•  “Please, I beg you, don’t hurt my children.”

Appeal to Pity Fallacy Examples in News

Examples of Appeal to Pity Fallacy in News:

The article is written to make the reader feel sorry for the person who committed the crime.

It may use phrases like “poor” or “desperate” to describe them.  There are many examples of the Appeal to Pity Fallacy in news articles.