A non sequitur is a conclusion or statement that doesn't logically follow from what came before it. The term comes from Latin and means “it does not follow.”

Imagine your friend says, “I got an A on my history test, so I should be allowed to stay up late tonight.” That's a non sequitur because doing well on a test has nothing to do with bedtime rules. The second part doesn't connect logically to the first part.

Non sequiturs pop up in arguments when someone jumps to a conclusion without showing how they got there. If someone says, “This book has a red cover, so it must be exciting,” they've made a non sequitur. The color of a book's cover tells you nothing about whether the story inside is exciting.

Sometimes people use non sequiturs accidentally because they're thinking faster than they're explaining. Other times, people use them on purpose to confuse others or avoid admitting they're wrong. When you spot a non sequitur, you can point out the gap: “Wait, how does that follow from what you just said?”

Learning to recognize non sequiturs can help you think more clearly and argue more effectively. When building your own arguments, try to make sure each step connects logically to the next.