Examples of Hasty Generalizations and Their Consequences

One example of hasty generalization is the fallacy which consists of focusing on successful people’s examples and trying to learn from them, forgetting about the unsuccessful who were guided by the same strategy. The problem is that the experience of the latter remains unknown. Therefore, successful people’s strategy and tactics, for instance, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg who did not graduate and became billionaires, are mistakenly overestimated. The danger associated with this example is becoming an entrepreneur with failed projects, debts, and incomplete higher education. Therefore, the way to avoid the problem is to consider that what has been a successful start for some individuals is not always the same for others. It is necessary to analyze the situation and evaluate all possible outcomes of the decision.

The particular example of hasty generalization can also be persistent stereotypes. Two inverse concepts of the fallacies are incorrect but popular beliefs (“The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy”, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/fallacies/). In particular, in practice, the plane is the safest mode of transport. However, the most heavily covered are the tragedies associated with this transport type. As a result, people choose less dangerous, in their opinion, types of transport, which are actually more dangerous. At the same time, it increases the probability of an unfortunate outcome. The way to avoid this hasty generalization is to refuse to associate air travel only with tragic events. Apart from it, self-control and a conscious attitude towards life can be the best prevention of these fallacies.

Work Cited

“Fallacies”. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2020. Web.