Appeal to Flattery

Description

(also known as: apple polishing, wheel greasing, brown nosing, appeal to pride / argumentum ad superbiam, appeal to snobbery [form of], appeal to vanity, proof surrogate [form of])

An appeal to flattery uses a compliment in place of relevant support for a claim. The listener is encouraged to accept the argument because the praise feels good.

Logical Form

Specific flattery.

Claim based on flattery.

Examples

Example #1

A: "You are so good at washing dishes, you should wash them tonight."

B: "But I did them last night."

A: "But you are so good at it!"

Explanation: You may be great at washing dishes, but that fact in itself is not a sufficient reason for you being the one to actually wash the dishes. Is it necessary for someone as skilled at dish-washing as you to do the job? Or is it a mindless job that anyone can do just fine?

Example #2

A car salesperson says: "You look ten years younger in that car!"

Explanation: The comment about looking ten years younger – just because of the car, is obvious flattery and not a fact. This would not qualify as a valid reason for making such a purchase.

Exception

A compliment is not itself a fallacy. Praise may be relevant if the quality being praised bears on the decision, but it still needs to support the particular conclusion. Being skilled at a task, for example, does not by itself settle whether assigning it to that person is fair.

Tip

Flattery might get you somewhere, but it’s usually a place you don’t want to be.

Variation

The appeal to snobbery is an attempt to make one feel part of the elite if they accept the claim. The proof surrogate is a more general fallacy that substitutes any distracting claim for one of proof – usually flattery is used.