Fallacy
Detective

Verbatim excerpt from Leo Tolstoy's autobiographical essay "A Confession" (1882) and a verbatim excerpt from an 1841 letter by Abraham Lincoln. Both historical figures suffered from severe clinical depression (melancholia). These texts represent actual, real-world examples of cognitive distortions (logical fallacies applied to oneself) common in depressive episodes.

Verbatim excerpts from Senator James Inhofe's statements denying climate change, most notably his February 26, 2015 speech on the US Senate floor where he brought a snowball to work, and a 2012 radio interview.

Verbatim excerpts from Senator Joseph McCarthy's famous February 9, 1950 speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, which launched the "Red Scare".

Verbatim excerpts from President George W. Bush's Address to a Joint Session of Congress on September 20, 2001. This is presented as an example of arguing for a noble cause (defending democracy and freedom) while utilizing highly fallacious rhetoric to unify the audience.