🌟The Illusion of Limited Choices: Teaching Kids to See the Possible in the Impossible
Logic Fallacies Series #1
Most parents want to teach their children logic. Many also think they aren’t qualified to teach this skill. But you don’t need to know the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning to teach logic.
If you can read a story to your children, you can teach them logic.
Below you’ll find a guide to teaching the False Dilemma Logical Fallacy through story and innovation. Examples for all ages of children are included - yes you can introduce logic to your 5 year old.
This is a personal favorite fallacy because it’s about teaching kids to see the Possible in the Impossible.
Enjoy!
What is the False Dilemma Logical Fallacy?
The false dilemma, also known as the false dichotomy, is a logical fallacy that occurs when someone presents only two possible options, even though additional choices are available. This fallacy oversimplifies a complex issue by suggesting that there are only two extreme or opposite solutions, when in reality, there could be a range of options.
Quotes that present false dilemmas
"You're either with us or against us."
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
"Love it or leave it."
"You can have safety or freedom, but not both."
"Money is the root of all evil."
"If you're not first, you're last."
"You're either a leader or a follower."Historical Example
A historical example of a false dilemma occurred during the Age of Enlightenment between scientific inquiry and religious faith. During this time, people were told you can either believe in science or religion but not both. This dichotomy is espoused often even in today’s society but it ignores the numerous examples demonstrating it is false. Many famous scientists were people of faith. For example, Gregor Mendel, an Austrian scientist and priest, is often referred to as the "Father of Genetics." His experiments with pea plants laid the foundation for our understanding of heredity and the basic principles of genetics. This is his picture.
Moreover, in modern day, the Dali Lama often speaks to scientists. I personally saw him give a talk at the Society for Neuroscience and listened to him say that scientists and people of faith have a lot in common because they both want to understand the nature of creation and consciousness.
Believing you only have two choices or can only be part of one team (science) or the other (faith) limits the mind and opportunities. Imagine instead that you have been trained to see through this false dilemma. That you are able to identify it and then plot a new course, one that leaves behind the narrow paths that society may have set for you.
Let’s talk about how to teach children to do just that.
Grammar Age (5-9 years old)
The best way to teach young kids are stories. Choose a story from a book where characters face a false dilemma. During reading, have kids discuss whether the situation has a different solution. Here are some examples.
The Little Engine That Could (by Watty Piper): In this book, toys are stranded and need to get over a mountain. All the trains pass by saying a version of it is not possible and they would get stuck. The false dilemma is 1) toys stay stranded or 2) train gets stuck on the mountain. Here, stop and ask if there seems to be another way? Kids might point out that none of the trains have even tried to go over the mountain. How do they know they can’t? Kids might come up with other fun examples, what about find a helicopter! or similar. Kids are super creative. Regardless, let them THINK outside the box of the story. In the end, the little blue engine saw beyond what everyone else said was impossible. Celebrate this value with your kids.
The Lion and the Mouse (Aesop's Fable): This is one of my favorite fables.
A lion captures a mouse. The mouse begs the lion to not eat him. The lion faces the false dilemma to either eat the mouse or let him go. Ask kids what might be a different choice? What might serve both the lion and the mouse? After getting kids ideas, finish the story. The mouse suggests that he could help the lion in the future. This is a particularly lovely story because the lion laughs because it seems impossible that a mouse could help a lion. But later the lion is caught in a hunter’s net and the mouse frees him. Again, the impossible becomes possible.
Logic Age (10-13 years old)
If you have tweens, you know they are starting to push boundaries as they attempt to define who they are and who they want to be. Stories are still a good way to talk to them but incorporating real-life examples of false dilemmas they will face in life will encourage them to think deeply about alternatives.
The Sword in the Stone (King Arthur): I love this example for middle school kids because it’s asking them to believe in themselves during a time of turmoil. In this legend, the knight or noble who pulls a sword from a stone is the true king. The false dilemma is that only nobles or knights can be the rightful king. This is a good time to discuss what makes a good king. Is it simply being a knight or noble? You might discuss what characteristics you’d want in a king. A knight might be brave and a noble might be educated but is that alone enough? What about being wise, kind, or a leader? This story shows Arthur, despite being young and not a knight, deciding to try to pull sword from the stone. He sees beyond the boundaries that society has set on him. He tries and by doing so makes the impossible, possible.
Friendship Dilemma: Friendships in middle school are particularly tricky. Many kids are faced with the false dilemma that they can either remain friends with old friends or make new friends. Kids often feel there is no middle ground. Discuss what alternatives exists. What will serve them better in the long run, having a few friends or many friends? Have they ever been left by a former friend? How did that feel? What is the right thing for that friend to do? Discuss that the most popular kids are those who are friends with everyone. Those kids have seen through the false dilemma.
Rhetoric Age (14-18+)
Teenagers are starting to imagine themselves contributing to the world. They are interested in not just real-life of their school but of society as a whole. Show them real life innovators and creators breaking through false dilemmas. Teach them the path to changing the world is seeing things that others do not - seeing past the false dilemmas that line the path to mediocrity.
Steve Jobs and aesthetics: In the tech world, there used to be no concern for how something looked. The false dilemma was 1) focus on technical specifications or 2) make it look nice. This will seem like an obvious one to kids today but it wasn’t at the time. Other companies had an “iPhone” (Palm Pilot, Windows Mobile) long before Apple, but Jobs made them beautiful. He famously took a calligraphy as one of the only college classes he took. He saw a path no one else did and the rest is history.
Flight: All of initial attempts at flight dating back hundreds of years assumed we had to mimic birds to fly. Here discuss the differences between bird and plane flight. It wasn’t until we let go of this false idea that we were able to create the first plane.
Suitcases with wheels: Why did it take so long to put wheels on a suitcase? Show old photos of people with suitcases - a lot of teenagers won’t know that suitcases as recently as 30 years ago didn’t have wheels! No one could see it because no one had tried. Sometimes things are such a natural part of your world you can’t even SEE that it could be better.
Kids start this world an open mind.
They think all things are possible.
Along the way, chains are put on them.
They are told there are limits.
Your job is to help them see past those limits.
Help them see the possible in the impossible♥️
~Claire Honeycutt aka Hippy Mom
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