Anecdotal Evidence

Many styles of martial arts teach and practice things that are out of the ordinary. Some claim different finger and hand formations will channel ki in the body. Some claim that the ointments they sell will help heal sprains, bruises, and other ailments. Some claim meditation will cure ills and make you a better person. There are a myriad of other boasts and claims, most of which are backed by anecdotal evidence.

Anecdotal evidence draws a conclusion from cases specifically chosen to support the argument, while ignoring cases that might tend to undermine the argument. Basically, it is accepting what someone has said is good about something and ignoring all the other people who have said something bad about it. For example, when you believing the commercial that says, "This stuff really works. Joe used it on his strained elbow and now his elbow doesn't hurt." and forgetting that for the 20 other people who used it, it had no effect. There is nothing wrong with presenting representative cases to illustrate a point as long as the cases are properly drawn from a fair sample.