Manipulation Tactic:  Red Herring Category:  Psychological Manipulation Red Flag Indicators Red Herring is when someone misleads or distracts from an irrelevant topic into an argument or discussion to divert attention away from the original, central issue. It is a fallacy of relevance, meaning the premise, though it may be true, has no bearing on the conclusion or the core point of the debate. In Logic/Debate:  It's an attempt to shift the conversation's focus to a new topic

Manipulation Tactic:  Psychological Projection Category:  Psychological Manipulation Red Flag Indicators Psychological Projection is a defense tactic where a person uses their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, motives - characteristics to another person or group. The core function of projection is to protect the ego  and manage internal emotional discomfort or anxiety by externalizing what the person finds threatening or undesirable within themselves. Psychological Charac

Manipulation Tactic:  Selective Omission Category:  Psychological Manipulation Red Flag Indicators Selective omission is an act of failing to include relevant facts that would significantly alter the recipient's understanding, judgment, or decision. Manipulators leverage this tactic by making their deception a passive act of omission rather than an active lie, making it feel less morally culpable to both themselves and, sometimes, the victim. The person engaging in selective

Manipulation Tactic:  Propaganda (Neutral) Category:  Psychological Manipulation Red Flag Indicators Propaganda is a strategic form of communication  designed to influence  the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of a large audience to further a specific agenda.  Propaganda is effective because it exploits fundamental aspects of human psychology, often overriding critical thought by appealing to emotion and social instincts. The term " propaganda " often carries a negative conn

Manipulation Tactic:  Misinformation Category:  Cognitive Manipulation Red Flag Indicators Misinformation  is providing false, inaccurate, or misleading information that is spread with or without the intent to deceive . Misinformation can also arise from simple errors, a misunderstanding of facts, or when information (like rumors) are shared unverified. Psychological Characteristics Cognitive Biases These are systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgme

Manipulation Tactic:  Logical Fallacies Category:  Cognitive Manipulation Red Flag Indicators Logical fallacy is a flaw in reasoning, the argument may sound persuasive or even correct at first, but when examined, it's found to be invalid or deceptive. Fallacies undermine the logic of an argument, either by making an illegitimate argument or by using irrelevant points that don't actually support the conclusion. Psychological Characteristics Confirmation Bias:  The tendency to