Concept · Cognitive Bias: Informal fallacies of relevance
Courtier's reply
Origin: PZ Myers, 2006
Biological Parallel
Cleaner wrasse develop 'client lists' of regular fish, performing elaborate inspection dances that signal expertise before cleaning. New clients without this ritual knowledge are dismissed—but the dance conveys no information about parasite removal skill, just social protocol. The courtier's reply exploits credentialing rituals that evolved to signal group membership and commitment (costly learning, initiation rites) but became decoupled from actual competence. Demanding mastery of irrelevant traditions guards against outsiders, a useful tribal filter that now protects bad ideas.