Re: What's the term for this?

"John Ashby" <j.v.ashby@xxxxxxxx> wrote:


<Wildepad> wrote in message
news:e9gg645hb578niq9lu3s4sk9c8hepjn9a3@xxxxxxxxxx
Although I can't remember it (it's hell to get old), I know there's a
simple and elegant term for when someone completely misinterprets
cause and effect. (And, please, just this once, no cheap shots about
others in the group.)

The only example I can think of offhand is a literal reading of the
lines:

"Why did summer go so quickly,
Was it something that I said?"

iow, the speaker is apparently attributing the apparent speeding up of
time to their own (mis)behaviour.

Does anyone know the one or two word phrase I've forgotten?

Any and all well-intentioned replies appreciated.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

If something happened after an event, it must have happened because of that
event.

john

So which is your weakness John, reading comprehension or simple
arithmetic? ("one or two word phrase"). Okay, you can have your leg
back now.

Re post hoc ergo propter hoc, I'm hoping you know that some things do
happen because of events, being a scientist and all that. It can be
an iffy deal figuring out when causality exists and when it doesn't.
Poor Merlin must have had a helluva lot of trouble with it, aging
backwards as he is sometimes reputed to have done.

--
Don't read this crap... oops, too late!

[superstitious heathen grade 8]
.