The dilemna you face when you can't work out whether a girl on the train is pregnant and you must give up your seat for her, or simply fat and should remain standing for the rest of the journey.
That pregnant woman over there has been standing for an hour, you consider the fat or pregnant dichotomy so you ask her if she'd like to have your seat, but she punches you in the face, because she is not pregnant, she is just fat.
When a person graduates from college, although they have a degree they may not be able to get a job because they don’t have experience. But, they can’t get experience unless they get a job.
The term was first coined by Dain Lewis on his blog the smart college grad.
Jack graduated from college with a degree in business. But, Jack didn't work at any businesses while in college. Jack then couldn't get a job after college because he didn't have experience. But, he couldn't gain any experience because no one would hire him. Jack found himself in the college graduate dichotomy.
1.
Louise: I love cats.
Keisha: why don’t you like dogs?
Louise: I like both, liking cats and liking dogs aren’t mutually exclusive. Thinking they are is a false dichotomy.
2.
Person 1: I’m not a liberal.
Person 2: so you’re a conservative?
Person 1: no I’m independent. Why do people see politics as a false dichotomy.
The apparent contradiction that women from India tend to be either amazingly beautiful or less than attractive. Particularly noticable among first generation Indian undergraduates.