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'''Wishful thinking''' is both a [[cognitive bias]]<ref>[http://sidewiseinsights.blogspot.com/2011/01/credit-to-his-race-final-installment-of.html SideWise Thinking]</ref> and a [[logical fallacy]].<ref>[http://www.fallacyfiles.org/wishthnk.html Logical Fallacy: Wishful Thinking]</ref>  It consists of believing something, or believing something to be more likely than it in fact is, because one wants it to be true.

'''Wishful thinking''' is both a [[cognitive bias]]<ref>[http://sidewiseinsights.blogspot.com/2011/01/credit-to-his-race-final-installment-of.html SideWise Thinking]</ref> and a [[logical fallacy]].<ref>[http://www.fallacyfiles.org/wishthnk.html Logical Fallacy: Wishful Thinking]</ref>  It consists of believing something, or believing something to be more likely than it in fact is, because one wants and hopes it to be true.<ref>[https://www.palomar.edu/users/bthompson/Appeal%20to%20Hope.html Appeal to Hope (Wishful Thinking)], Polomar College</ref>

As a logical fallacy, it it similar to the [[appeal to emotion]], except that the appeal is [[self-deception|to one's own emotion]] rather than only to the emotions of the audience.  The fallacy makes a desire for the conclusion to be a premise; that is, it takes the following form:

As a logical fallacy, it is similar to the [[appeal to emotion]], except that the appeal is [[self-deception|to one's own emotion]] rather than only to the emotions of the audience.  The fallacy makes a desire for the conclusion to be a premise; that is, it takes the following form:

*I want ''P'' to be true.

*I want ''P'' to be true.

*Therefore, ''P''.

*Therefore, ''P''.

A person engaging in wishful thinking almost never states it so bluntly, however.  Instead, that person may [[cherry picking|cherry-pick]] the evidence or otherwise distort reality to support the desired conclusion

A person engaging in wishful thinking almost never states it so bluntly, however.  Instead, that person may [[cherry picking|cherry-pick]] the evidence or otherwise distort reality to support the desired conclusion.

There is also reverse wishful thinking, which is [[Murphy's law]] as a cognitive bias.

There is also reverse wishful thinking, which is [[Murphy's law]] as a cognitive bias.

==Examples==

==Examples==

*[[Atheists]] engage in wishful thinking when they disbelieve in God because they do not want Him to exist, rather than because they have any direct evidence for the nonexistence of God.

*[[Atheists]] engage in wishful thinking when they disbelieve in God because they do not want Him to exist, rather than because they have any direct evidence for the nonexistence of God.

*Believers in discredited scientific theories such as [[evolution]] and [[global warming]] cling to their beliefs for the same reason.

*[[Homosexual]]s engage in wishful thinking when they accuse those who oppose and criticize [[homosexuality]] and [[Same-sex marriage|homosexual "marriage"]] of being "[[homophobia|homophobes]]" and "secretly gay" because, despite having no evidence to prove their claims, they want to believe that their opponents are "self-hating homosexuals", even though those homosexuals who make such accusations are not mind-readers. Proponents of homosexuality delude themselves into thinking that their opponents are the "opposite" of what they really are because those homosexuals do not want to believe that [[homophobia]] is not a widespread condition or that their opponents have legitimate reasons for not supporting or agreeing with the homosexual lifestyle and its [[Homosexuality and disease|resulting]] [[Mental Health and Homosexuality|consequences]].  They also [[fallacy of invincible ignorance|completely ignore]] the copious evidence of the harms caused by same-sex "marriage" to both individuals and society.

*Believers in discredited notions such as [[evolution]]/[[Origin of life|abiogenesis]] cling to their beliefs despite the lack of evidence for them and despite the abundant contrary evidence.

 

* "If we could just [[gun control|ban all guns]] and [[ammunition control|ammunition]], then there would be very little [[crime]]." The concept of a place where "people can be sure no one has a gun" has always been [[left wing]] "[[unicorn]] [[utopia]]" wishful thinking [[pollyanna]] [[fantasy]] of the [[:Essay:Anti-self-defense movement|Anti-self-defense movement]], for the simple reason that [[criminal]]s by their nature ''never'' follow laws. So-called [[political correctness|politically correct]] "gun free zones" are known to [[Second Amendment]] [[self-defense]] supporting [[conservative]] [[patriot]]s, [[veteran]]s, [[:Category:Survivalists|preppers]] and [[gun enthusiast]]s via the [[Essay:The Politically Corrected Firearms and Second Amendment Glossary|politically corrected]] term "free fire zones". "Free fire zones" are where criminals, [[gang]]s, [[War on Drugs|drug dealer]]s, [[mafia]], [[yakuza]], [[triad]]s, [[murderer]]s, [[young mass murderer]]s, and [[terrorist]]s are free to fire at will on defenseless [[gun control|disarmed]] conservatives and [[pollyanna|never armed]] liberals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

==References==

==References==

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[[Category:Logical Fallacies]]

[[Category:Logical Fallacies]]