One of the most common fallacies people commit is one called the anecdotal fallacy. The anecdotal fallacy is when someone bases an argument on anecdotal evidence. So the natural next question is: What is anecdotal evidence?
Anecdotal evidence is evidence that is based solely on the personal experience of one person or a small number of people. Such evidence cannot be used to make general statements that apply to everyone or every circumstance. Here is an example argument that demonstrates this:
Flying is a dangerous way to travel. I know because I was in a plane crash. We will much safer if we drive.
This argument commits the anecdotal fallacy. By using their personal experience in a plane crash as evidence, the arguer is concluding that flying is more dangerous than driving. But if you were to look at statistical evidence, you would find that flying is a lot safer than driving.
The anecdotal fallacy occurs frequently in discussions about the supposed link between vaccines and autism. There are many stories about children receiving vaccines and being diagnosed with autism shortly afterward. This has led some people to believe that vaccines are the cause of autism. But by statistically analyzing large datasets, it is clear that there is no link between vaccines and autism.
