ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Fallacy of division

Imagine you have a delicious pizza cut into slices. You love the pizza so much that you think each of its slices must be equally good as a whole pizza. But that's not true, little one. Each slice is just a part of the whole pizza, and it may not contain all the toppings you like.

Similarly, the fallacy of division happens when we assume that something that is true for the whole must also be true for each of its parts. But that's not always the case, because each part can be different and not have all the qualities of the whole.

For example, imagine you love your school as a whole, and you think it's the best school in the world. However, that doesn't mean that each of your classmates is also the best student in the world. Maybe some of them struggle in certain subjects or have different talents.

So remember, little one, the fallacy of division occurs when we assume that something true for the whole is also true for each of its parts. But just like with the pizza and the school, each part can be different and have its own qualities.