Technique glossary
The manipulation tells TELL trains you to spot — each with a plain example and the counter-move. Non-partisan and evidence-based.
10 tells
Fear appeal
Uses alarm or dread to short-circuit careful thinking and rush a decision.
“This common ingredient is silently poisoning your family — act before it's too late.”
Counter-move: Pause. Strong fear is a cue to slow down, not speed up.
Cherry-picking
Shows only the data that fits the claim and hides everything that doesn't.
“Five people got sick after the shot” — while ignoring the millions who didn't.
Counter-move: Ask what's missing. Look for the whole picture, not one slice.
False balance
Presents a fringe view as equal to overwhelming evidence, as if it were a 50/50 debate.
A panel with 1 scientist and 1 influencer, framed as ‘experts disagree.’
Counter-move: Weigh the evidence, not the number of talking heads.
Anecdote as evidence
Treats a single vivid personal story as proof of a general pattern.
“My cousin took this supplement and her tumor vanished — it cures cancer.”
Counter-move: One story is a starting question, not a finding. Look for studies.
Manufactured urgency
Invents a deadline or scarcity so you act before you can verify.
“Doctors don't want you to know this — share before it's deleted!”
Counter-move: Real health guidance survives a five-minute check. Take it.
Conspiracy framing
Explains away missing evidence by claiming a powerful group is hiding ‘the truth.’
“The science is faked because ‘they’ profit from keeping us sick.”
Counter-move: Unfalsifiable plots aren't evidence. Ask what would change their mind.
Out-of-context quote
Clips a real statement so it appears to mean the opposite of the original.
A study's ‘more research is needed’ rewritten as ‘scientists admit it doesn't work.’
Counter-move: Trace it back to the original. Read the sentence before and after.
False cause
Assumes that because one thing followed another, the first caused the second.
“I felt tired after my flu shot, so the shot drains your energy.”
Counter-move: After ≠ because. Ask if anything else could explain it.
Miracle cure
Promises a single simple fix for a complex problem, often to sell something.
“This one root cures diabetes, anxiety, and cancer — no diet needed.”
Counter-move: Big complex problems rarely have one tiny secret answer.
Ready to practice? Spot these tells in real claims →