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Hasty Generalization
Category: Fallacy
What is it?
This fallacy occurs when a conclusion is drawn from a sample size that is too small or not representative of the whole. It's a form of jumping to conclusions.
Examples
"I met two people from that city and they were both rude, so everyone from that city must be rude."
"My grandfather smoked his whole life and lived to be 90, so smoking isn't actually bad for you."
How to Avoid This
Base your conclusions on a sufficiently large and representative sample. Be wary of making broad claims based on personal anecdotes or limited data.
How to Counter This
Point out that the sample size is too small to support the conclusion. 'You can't judge an entire city based on two people.' Provide counterexamples if you can.