Ever jumped to a conclusion just because one thing happened after another? You might be a victim of the 'Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc' fallacy – a fancy Latin phrase meaning 'after this, therefore because of this.'
This sneaky error in reasoning assumes that because event B followed event A, then event A *must* have caused event B. Imagine you wore your lucky socks to a job interview and got the job. Did the socks *really* land you the gig? Probably not!
Correlation doesn't equal causation. Many factors contribute to events, and simply happening in sequence doesn't prove a direct link. Recognizing this fallacy helps us think critically and avoid making unfounded assumptions. Next time you're tempted to link two events together, ask yourself: Is there a genuine connection, or am I falling for the 'post hoc' trap?
