Definitions by Abzugal
Emotionbait
The mirror of Logicbait: weaponizing emotion—or accusations about emotion—to dismiss, manipulate, or gaslight. Emotionbait takes many forms. Accusing someone of being "too emotional" to reason clearly, regardless of their actual emotional state. Demanding that others perform the "correct" emotions (outrage, sympathy, etc.) while refusing emotional engagement yourself. Using emotional language to provoke reactions, then pointing to those reactions as evidence of irrationality. Pathologizing normal emotional responses as signs of mental illness. The Emotionbaiter polices others' feelings while often hiding their own, creating a dynamic where any emotional expression becomes evidence against you. It's gaslighting with feelings as the fuel.
"I expressed genuine frustration about an injustice. Emotionbait: 'Wow, you're really emotional about this. Maybe step back and be rational.' Then they posted something designed to make me angrier. When I responded, they said: 'See? You can't control your emotions.' They provoked the emotion, then used it as evidence I'm emotional. That's Emotionbait—feelings as a trap."
Emotionbait by Abzugal February 24, 2026
Logicpost
A specific instance of Logicbait—a post that uses logical terminology, fallacy-spotting, or pseudo-logical reasoning not to advance understanding but to dismiss, gaslight, or manipulate. Logicposts are recognizable by their technical vocabulary deployed as weapons: "that's a straw man," "ad hominem," "false equivalence," "begging the question." Often the terms are misused, or applied to arguments that don't actually commit those fallacies, or used to dismiss substantive points without engagement. The Logicpost performs rationality while being fundamentally irrational—it's the appearance of logic without its substance, reason as a costume for unreason.
"She wrote a nuanced analysis of media bias. First comment: 'False equivalence! You can't compare these two things!' The two things were obviously comparable, the comparison was careful, and the comment addressed nothing she actually said. That's a Logicpost—logic as a drive-by, reasoning as a roadblock."
Logicbait
A form of baiting that weaponizes logic—not to find truth, but to dominate, dismiss, or manipulate. Logicbait takes two main forms. First: the performative use of logical fallacies as weapons, where the baiter commits fallacies while accusing others of them, creating a hall of mirrors where no real engagement can happen. Second: fallacy-picking, where the baiter ignores the substance of an argument to hunt for any perceived logical flaw, real or imagined, and uses it to dismiss everything else. "You committed the ad hominem fallacy!" they scream, while committing ad hominem. "That's a straw man!" they claim, while building one. Logicbait also includes more sophisticated tools: Fallacy Blind-Spot (seeing others' fallacies but not your own), Self-Serving Fallacy (only caring about logic when it benefits you), Not Happening Fallacy (claiming something isn't happening because your framework can't explain it), and the various Objectivity Biases. The goal isn't reasoning—it's winning, by any logical means necessary.
Parascience
A term for fields of inquiry, phenomena, or belief systems that exist outside the boundaries of conventional scientific methodology—not because they're necessarily false, but because they cannot be adequately tested or explained by established scientific frameworks. Parascience includes parapsychology, telepathy, mediumship, psychic phenomena, astral projection, and aspects of religious, spiritual, and metaphysical experience. These domains often involve subjective experience, non-material claims, or phenomena that resist laboratory conditions. Mainstream science tends to dismiss parascience as pseudoscience, but the relationship is more complex: parascience asks questions science cannot answer, uses methods science does not validate, and explores territory science has declared off-limits. Whether this represents a frontier or a fantasy depends on who you ask.
"Science can measure what happens in my brain during meditation—blood flow, electrical activity, neurotransmitter levels. But it cannot measure the experience of unity I describe, the sense of connection to something larger. That's Parascience: real experience, real phenomena, but outside what current scientific methods can capture. Not anti-science—just beyond science's current reach."
Parascience by Abzugal February 24, 2026
Conpost
A specific instance of Conbait—a post that dismisses religious, spiritual, or metaphysical beliefs by framing the believer as either delusional or deceptive. Conposts often take a knowing, superior tone: "Oh honey, you actually believe that?" "Another grifter exploiting the vulnerable." "Congratulations on discovering basic pattern-seeking bias." "The psychic was reading your body language, not your future." The Conpost performs skepticism as cruelty, using materialist orthodoxy as a weapon against experiences it cannot explain and does not try to understand. It's not science; it's scientism as social aggression.
"I shared my experience of what felt like communication with a deceased family member. First Conpost: 'Congratulations, your grieving brain generated comforting hallucinations. This is basic psychology. Stop grifting vulnerable people.' They diagnosed my grief, dismissed my experience, and accused me of exploitation in one sentence. That's Conpost—skepticism as a cudgel."
Conbait
A specialized form of Grassbait targeting religious, spiritual, supernatural, or metaphysical beliefs. The Conbaiter doesn't just pathologize—they criminalize, framing the believer as a "con artist," "charlatan," "grifter," or "delusional conspiracy theorist." The assumption is that anyone who believes in things beyond materialist explanation is either mentally ill or running a scam. Conbait is common in discussions of religion, paranormal phenomena, alternative healing, or any spirituality that doesn't fit scientific materialism. The goal isn't understanding or even disagreement—it's exposure, mockery, and character assassination. Belief becomes evidence of either pathology or predation.
"I mentioned my meditation practice and experiences with something I can only call spiritual. Instant Conbait: 'So you're either schizophrenic or scamming people for money. Which is it?' Not a question about experience, not curiosity about belief—just a forced choice between illness and fraud. That's not dialogue; that's a trap."
Grasspost
A specific instance of Grassbait—a post whose primary function is to pathologize the target rather than engage their content. Grassposts are recognizable by their therapeutic vocabulary: "touch grass," "seek help," "you sound unwell," "get therapy," "meds?" They require zero knowledge of the topic, zero engagement with arguments, and zero effort beyond scrolling and typing. Yet they're devastatingly effective, because they shift the frame from debate to diagnosis. You're no longer someone with an argument; you're someone with a condition. The Grasspost doesn't refute—it dismisses. It's not conversation; it's containment.
"She posted a thoughtful thread about political corruption. The replies were Grassposts: 'Ma'am, please go outside,' 'This level of obsession isn't healthy,' 'Touch grass.' None addressed her evidence. All pathologized her concern. The thread wasn't debated—it was medicated."