Wishful Thinking Fallacy
What is Wishful Thinking Fallacy?
The wishful thinking fallacy is when someone makes a conclusion based on what they want to happen, not what actually happened. Wishful thinking is an example of a cognitive bias that occurs when people want something to be true so badly that they believe it to be true, even if there is no evidence supporting the idea.
Wishful thinking is the belief that wishing for something to happen will make it more likely to occur. This fallacy is also known as “the law of attraction” or “positive thinking”.It is believed that if they think positively about an outcome, then it will be more probable than if they had thought negatively.
What is Wishful thinking?
Wishful thinking is an example of a cognitive bias that occurs when people want something to be true so badly that they believe it to be true, even if there is no evidence supporting the idea.
The term was coined by psychologists in the mid-20th century and has since been used as a synonym for irrational or illogical thought processes.
People who are experiencing wishful thinking may see what they want to see, disregard any evidence against their belief, and ignore all other possibilities
People who are experiencing wishful thinking may see what they want to see, disregard any evidence against their belief, and ignore all other possibilities
Wishful thinking is also present in situations where people make decisions based on their emotions instead of logic.
Wishful Thinking Fallacy Examples
Wishful thinking is the belief that something will happen because you want it to happen. It can be a form of self-deception, in which one believes they have certain qualities or abilities when they do not. A person may believe that their partner loves them unconditionally, for example, even if there are clear indications to the contrary.
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Wishful thinkers believe that their thoughts can alter reality and create what they want. An example of this would be a person who thinks about winning the lottery every day and eventually does win.
A student who believes that a professor will give them an “A” because they have been tutoring him or her for weeks
For example, if your friend tells you that she got an A+ on her test and you know for a fact that she did not get an A+, then it’s wishful thinking to believe that she got the grade without any other evidence.
Example of wishful thinking fallacy in the media
The media often portrays unrealistic expectations of what people should look like.
For example, many advertisements for weight loss products show models with perfect bodies who have never had to struggle with their weight.
This is an example of the wishful thinking fallacy because it shows that these women don’t need to lose any weight.
The media often portrays celebrities as perfect people with perfect lives. This is not the case- many celebrities are struggling with mental illness, addiction, or abuse.
When we see them in magazines and on TV, they seem to be living a charmed life. We should be aware of what is happening behind the scenes.