Bringing too many arguments to the table can lead to Argument Dilution
Brains process information with two categories:
- Diagnostic Information
- Non-Diagnostic Information
Adding non-diagnostic information to an argument (diagnostic information) dilutes the diagnostic information. Adding (even potentially relevant) non-diagnostic information results in a loss of impact for a given argument.
This is also true if multiple arguments (diagnostic information) are being presented at the same time. They also dilute or devalue the main argument. → Arguments don’t add up.
In the case of arguments for or against something Quality trumps quantity.
Examples
- A long list of side-effects ranging from “heart attack” to “itchy feet” dilutes the weight of the actual side-effects. Instead having only “heart attack” and “stroke” listed as side-effects, those two will have a much higher perceived weight.