The Uniqueness Fallacy. This fallacy is based on that idea that if a situation is unique, there is nothing in general we can learn by examining other situations. Examining different situations may not be perfect, but it is an improvement. As Paul Meehl showed, interpolating from statistical data outperformed experts even when each situation was “unique” in some way (e.g., judging the risk of parole violations or the potential of an applicant for medical school).
