How to Use a Red Herring to Get What You Want

You want something. However, there is a superior of some sort withholding that item of desire from you. This superior may be a boss withholding a raise or vacation days, a landlord withholding pets in an apartment, or a parent withholding curfew or another privilege. A tactic to resolve this type of conflicts is to use a “red herring” while making your case to a superior. Here is an anecdote of how I used a “red herring” with my landlord in order to be allowed a cat in my apartment.

Red Herring (noun): Something that is or is intended to be misleading or distracting. ~Google Dictionary (not to be confused with a dried smoked herring, which is turned red by the smoke)

A month into my rent, I decided to get a cat. However, I was at a disadvantage of being allowed one: during the rent negotiations, I did not discuss the issue of pets. I had signed the lease, which meant requesting a pet was something extra. Aware of my disadvantage, I called him and told him I wanted to live with a dog, specifically a German Shepherd. We went back and forth until he adamantly stated I was not allowed a German Shepherd because he thought it was too big for my apartment and I did not have time to walk it. At this moment, I said I was willing to have a cat instead. A cat was be smaller and took less maintenance. Compared to my insists for a German Shepherd, asking for a cat looked harmless. The landlord consented and gave me permission to have a cat. At no point did I want a German Shepherd, my appeal for one was simply a distraction, a “red herring.”