How do you distract someone from the real issue?
"You say I broke curfew? Well, what about when YOU were late last week!" "We need to discuss grades." "Why are we even talking about this when there's climate change!" Changing the subject to avoid the real topic - that's a red herring!
Name comes from training hunting dogs with smelly fish to distract them! RED HERRING = introducing IRRELEVANT information to divert attention from the actual issue being discussed. It's a distraction technique, whether intentional or accidental!
Introduces something: (1) Emotionally charged, (2) Seemingly related, (3) More interesting/dramatic, (4) Shifts focus away from difficult questions. By the time you finish discussing the distraction, everyone forgets the original point! Very effective!
• "You criticize my spending? What about government waste!" (Different issue!)
• "Bad test grade?" "My teacher doesn't like me!" (Dodging the grade!)
• "Your plan has problems." "Well, YOUR plan failed last time!" (Avoiding criticism!)
• "Climate policy costs money!" "What about war costs!" (Different discussion!)
"That's interesting, but let's stay on topic." or "We can discuss that later - right now we're talking about X." Don't let yourself be pulled off track! Acknowledge the new point, then firmly redirect back to the original issue!
Red herring introduces irrelevant information to distract from the real issue under discussion!
The tactic:
1. Difficult question or criticism raised
2. Introduce tangentially related topic
3. New topic is more emotionally engaging
4. Discussion shifts to new topic
5. Original issue forgotten/unanswered
Why it works:
• Our attention follows interesting topics
• We're polite (feel obliged to address new point)
• Emotional topics override logic
• Hard to notice mid-conversation
Related but distinct from:
• Ad hominem: Attacks person (red herring attacks nothing, just distracts)
• Strawman: Misrepresents argument (red herring changes topic entirely)
• Whataboutism: Specific type of red herring ("What about X?!")
Real-world example:
"Your product failed safety tests."
"Our competitors also have safety issues! And what about all the jobs we create? Plus, regulations are too strict anyway!"
↑ None of this addresses the failed safety tests!
Your defense:
When someone changes subject, ask: "How does that address my original point?" Stay focused! You can discuss the red herring later - after resolving the initial issue!