When leaders or team members want to shut down discussion or inquiry and maintain their commitment to the current strategy or decision, they sometimes resort to what are called Appeals of Ignorance.
This faulty and self-serving reasoning, also known as the Ignorance Fallacy, settles the issue by implying that if no one can prove they are wrong, then they are right.
The Ignorance Fallacy treats a lack of evidence as if it were positive evidence for the opposite claim.
In other words, a person claims something is true because it has not been proven false. Or it must be false because it has not been proven true.
Leaders and team members commonly turn to the Ignorance Fallacy when they feel challenged and don’t want to debate an issue or defend their position.
They attempt to settle the truth through an either-or choice of faulty reasoning.
Instead of agreeing that more needs to be known, or that the topic is worthy of debate, they shift the burden of proof to others to disprove their view. When others can’t marshal evidence to the contrary, they declare victory.
Here are a few examples of the Ignorance Fallacy aimed at shutting down disagreement and discussion:
- No one complains about my leadership style, so everyone must be satisfied with it.
- No one on the team has provided proof that the project is off track, so it must be going smoothly.
- The leader did not suggest that my idea is bad, so it must be worth pursuing.
- My data has never been stolen online, so my passwords are secure enough.
If left unaddressed, this lazy logic negates discussion and encourages close-mindedness.
Good leaders don’t make or accept claims that operate from this fallacy. They reject this faulty reasoning and insist on discussion, debate, and the gathering of facts, data, and evidence.
They refuse to accept the premise that a lack of evidence proves anything definitive.
The Ignorance Fallacy is more prevalent than most leaders realize. It is easy to accept without realizing it.
Good leaders stay vigilant against this defective reasoning. They know a lack of evidence doesn’t prove anything but the need for more information and clarity.
The best leaders value exploration and inquiry far too much to ever tolerate appeals of ignorance.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
