I found the use of false dilemmas useful. The concept talks about using the word “or” when really there are more than those outcomes. It’s like giving people the choice of chocolate or vanilla, when really they could get strawberry as an alternative. To me, the concept is like telling the truth, but not the whole truth.
Recently I was told that I either had to choose between commuting to my old gym in South San Francisco or quitting to find a gym closer to my new home. When I finally made up my mind that I would quit, I called and was told that there was actually another branch of the gym in San Jose! I was a little peeved that the first person I talked to about quitting didn’t inform me of this option and made me think that there were only two choices. The situation was so misleading and it really posed a false dilemma for me. In the end it wasn’t a real problem at all!
