Fallacies: T (Part 1 of 2)

Core idea

The letter T opens on a recurring theme: traditions and word-origins that feel ancient but were assembled recently. Clan tartans were not handed down "from time immemorial" — they were largely systematised in the 1820s. Taurine sounds like it must come from a bull because the name resembles taurus. The lesson is that age and authenticity are not the same thing; a custom can be sincere, popular, and brand new.

Why it matters

Invented tradition is persuasive precisely because nobody benefits from questioning it — the customer wants the romance, the manufacturer wants the sale, and the salesman closes the gap. The same coalition keeps a folk etymology alive. Recognising the pattern lets you enjoy the tradition without mistaking it for history.

Key takeaways

Mental model

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Practical application

When a custom is described as timeless, ask for a date — the earliest documented instance. When a word's origin sounds too neat, check whether the resemblance came first and the story second. The tartan myth and the taurine myth both collapse the moment someone asks "when, exactly?"

Example

A whisky label claims a "300-year-old family recipe." Apply the date test: ask for documentation older than the brand's incorporation. Like the clan tartans, the romance may be entirely manufactured by the happy coincidence of what the customer wants to believe and what the seller wants to sell.

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