# Wishful thinking

*Also called: Argumentum ad consolationem*

- **Cluster:** Emotional pressure — Feeling recruited to do the work of evidence
- **Page:** https://fallacy.wiki/fallacy/wishful-thinking/
- **In Arabic:** https://fallacy.wiki/ar/fallacy/wishful-thinking.md
- **Licence:** CC BY 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

## What it is

Believing something because the alternative is unbearable.

## In the wild

> It has to be true, otherwise everything falls apart.

## How to answer it

Ask what evidence would exist if the comforting belief were false.

## Origin and naming

The psychologist's name for it predates the fallacy label; logicians such as Gary Curtis catalogued its bare form: 'I wish that P, therefore P.' It is the pleasant mirror-image of the appeal to fear — desire doing the work of evidence.

## More places it shows up

- The startup will definitely turn profitable next quarter — the alternative would mean telling the team we wasted two years.
- My knee can't be seriously injured; the marathon is in six weeks and I've already paid for the trip.
- The test results must be a lab mix-up — this treatment was our last option.
- Housing prices have to rise again soon; too many friends bought at the peak.

## How to spot it

- Notice when 'it has to be true' steps in for 'here is how we know.'
- Notice when the argument gets stronger exactly as the stakes of being wrong get worse.
- Notice when doubting is treated as pessimism rather than as checking.

## Nearby

- [Appeal to consequences](https://fallacy.wiki/fallacy/consequences.md)
- [Moralistic fallacy](https://fallacy.wiki/fallacy/moralistic.md)
- [Sunk cost fallacy](https://fallacy.wiki/fallacy/sunk-cost.md)
- [Appeal to emotion](https://fallacy.wiki/fallacy/appeal-emotion.md)

## Read more

- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wishful_thinking)
- [Logically Fallacious](https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/logicalfallacies/Wishful-Thinking)

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From fallacy.wiki — a bilingual field guide to 91 logical fallacies, published by phi holdings. Licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/): reuse freely with attribution to fallacy.wiki.