Anecdotal

The anecdotal fallacy is when you use one or two personal stories or examples as if they were enough to prove or disprove a general rule. Anecdotes can illustrate and motivate, but they don't replace proper evidence. One person's experience doesn't tell you what's true for most people or in general. We're often too swayed by vivid stories and forget they're not data. Related: Availability heuristic, Insensitivity to sample size.

Examples

• I know someone who smoked all their life and never got ill, so smoking can't be that bad.

• My cousin did that diet and lost loads of weight, so the diet works.

• I've never been burgled, so crime isn't a problem.

• Someone I know had a bad reaction to the vaccine, so vaccines are dangerous.