The False Dilemma Fallacy and Duchess and Bruno's Book

Generational wealth and fame await…

But it was better off destroyed. A life of hedonism and indulgence would have only destroyed Duchess and Bruno. Sure, owning a yacht is nice, but what about Duchess’s future crippling catnip addiction? Or Bruno’s life being ruined by gold diggers who only want him for his riches?……. Okay, maybe their success wouldn’t have been that dramatic. Guess we’ll never know.

See how Duchess and Bruno freak out with Black and White Thinking (False Dilemma Activity Pack)!

False Dilemma in a Nutshell

The False Dilemma doesn't say you have no options. It says you have exactly two — one wonderful, one catastrophic - and it very quietly locks the door on everything in between.

Duchess didn't say "success will bring some challenges we might need to manage." She said fame will ruin them. Both of them. Completely. And the only way to avoid total ruination is to destroy the book immediately. Two options. Both extreme. No middle ground considered.

That's the False Dilemma - also called the False Dichotomy or black and white thinking. Between "become uncontrollably, filthily rich and lose everything" and "burn the evidence before it's too late," there are, conservatively, about three hundred other choices. Including just... keeping the book.

See all 24 fallacies in What Are the Most Common Logical Fallacies?

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