The Well-travelled Road Fallacy
🧠 Psych - 228/300
Welcome to Psych 🧠. A newsletter that weekly talks about an unconventional yet simple explanation of a topic in psychology, empowering your personal and professional growth.
Few minutes of learning can change your life! Subscribe here.
💡What is the “Well-travelled Road” Fallacy?
The well-travelled road fallacy, also known as the appeal to tradition fallacy, is a fallacy in logic that happens when someone assumes something is true, valuable, or superior just because it has been practised or held to be true for a long time.
Instead of assessing an idea, practise, or belief on its own merits or taking other perspectives into account, it involves giving undue weight to the fact that it has been established or accepted by tradition.
For example, if someone argues that a certain cultural or societal norm should be maintained simply because "it has always been done that way," without considering whether it aligns with current values or has valid reasoning behind it, they are committing the well-travelled road fallacy.
📗 Like reading Books?
Take a look at The Psych Handbook that features simple explanations & fun visuals of 150+ biases of psychology that you can binge.
📝 What do I need to know?
Two takeaways from the well-travelled road fallacy are:
Question tradition and examine the rationale: Instead of automatically accepting ideas or practices solely because they are traditional, take the time to critically evaluate them. Consider whether they align with current values, have a logical basis, or are still relevant in the present context. Tradition alone should not be the sole basis for determining the validity or superiority of something.
Be open to alternative perspectives: Avoid closing yourself off to new ideas or innovations simply because they deviate from tradition. Recognize that progress and improvement often come from questioning established norms and considering different approaches. Being open-minded and receptive to alternative viewpoints can lead to growth and positive change.
By recognizing and avoiding the well-travelled road fallacy, we can promote critical thinking, challenge outdated beliefs, and make more informed decisions based on a thoughtful evaluation of ideas, rather than blindly following tradition.
📣 Want to Sponsor the Next Edition?
Sponsor Psych: Highlight your amazing service or product in front of a highly-intellectual audience of 1000+ readers.