Evidence-Based Fallacy

A fallacy and metafallacy where scientific evidence is invoked to justify positions that lie outside the proper domain of evidence—particularly bigotry, prejudice, racism, xenophobia, aporophobia (hatred of the poor), and other forms of discrimination. The fallacy operates by claiming that discriminatory policies or attitudes are "supported by evidence" (about crime rates, economic impacts, cultural differences) while ignoring that evidence never dictates values, that statistical patterns don't justify moral judgments, and that using evidence to justify oppression misuses the very concept of evidence. It's a metafallacy because it weaponizes the legitimate authority of science to defend what science cannot possibly justify—treating "evidence-based" as a blank check for any position that can find a supporting statistic, regardless of the values, ethics, and human consequences involved.

Example: "He cited crime statistics to justify housing discrimination—the Evidence-Based Fallacy in full flower, using numbers to launder prejudice while pretending that evidence alone could ever justify treating humans as less than human."

by Dumu The Void March 13, 2026

Dry Flat Road Fallacy

A logical fallacy representing the opposite of the slippery slope—the unwarranted assumption that a present bad situation, negative trend, or harmful policy will inevitably lead to positive outcomes in the future, without evidence for this optimistic trajectory. Where the slippery slope argues that a small step will lead to disaster, the dry flat road argues that current troubles are just a flat, featureless stretch that will eventually deliver us to sunny uplands. "Yes, inequality is rising, but it will eventually force systemic change that leads to justice." "Yes, the environment is degrading, but necessity will drive innovation that saves us." "Yes, working conditions are worsening, but this will radicalize workers and bring revolution." The fallacy lies in treating "it could get better" as "it will get better"—projecting desired outcomes onto the future without mechanism, evidence, or timeline. Like a dry flat road that seems to promise an easy journey but may lead anywhere, this fallacy comforts without justifying.

Example: "He dismissed every concern about authoritarian trends with 'this will eventually lead to a popular uprising that restores democracy'—Dry Flat Road Fallacy, treating a hoped-for future as inevitable just because the present is bleak."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Arbitrary Analogy Fallacy

A fallacy where one dismisses an argument, claim, or position by comparing it arbitrarily to something universally derided—Flat Earth theory, anti-vaxxers, tinfoil hats, or other culturally recognized symbols of irrationality—without establishing a substantive logical connection. The fallacy lies in the arbitrariness of the comparison: rather than engaging with the actual argument, the speaker simply invokes a stigmatized label, relying on cultural disgust to do the work of refutation. "That's just like Flat Earthers." "You sound like an anti-vaxxer." "Next you'll be wearing a tinfoil hat." The comparison is arbitrary because the logical relationship between the target argument and the stigmatized position is never demonstrated—they're just associated through rhetorical gesture. This fallacy is particularly powerful because it bypasses reasoning entirely, triggering emotional rejection rather than intellectual engagement. It's the lazy debater's way of dismissing without thinking.

Example: "He raised legitimate questions about media consolidation, and she responded with 'oh, so you're a conspiracy theorist now?'—Arbitrary Analogy Fallacy, using the stigma of conspiracy to avoid engaging with actual concerns."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Arbitrary Dilemma Fallacy

A fallacy, extremely common in politics, where one artificially restricts the range of available options to a false dilemma—typically presenting a limited set of choices as the only possibilities, when others exist. The most famous form is TINA (There Is No Alternative), where a particular policy or system is presented as inevitable because "there's no other choice." Another common form is lesser-evilism, where one is told to support a flawed option because the alternative is supposedly worse—without considering whether other alternatives exist or whether the framing itself is manipulative. "We have to accept this austerity because there's no alternative." "Vote for this corrupt candidate because the other one is even worse." "Support this imperfect policy because the opposition would be catastrophic." The fallacy lies in the arbitrariness of the dilemma: the options presented are treated as exhaustive when they're not, and the criteria for what counts as "worse" are assumed rather than argued. The dilemma is arbitrary because it's constructed to foreclose rather than enable genuine choice.

Example: "She argued that we had to accept the surveillance bill because 'the terrorists win otherwise'—Arbitrary Dilemma Fallacy, presenting a false choice between surveillance and security while ignoring the possibility of security without surveillance."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026

Sunk cost fallacy

Sunk cost fallacy is a dead song of popular EDM artist Fox Stevenson that the community kept dear to their hearts.

No, Sunk Cost Fallacy is a dead song and is neve- WAIT WHAT!?!??!? SCF BEFORE GTA VI WHAT THE SHI-!?!

by samostalniivan123 May 27, 2025

Muhammad of the gaps fallacy

Muhammad of the gaps fallacy is when there is a supposed prophecy of the prophet muhammad of islam in the bible, but if other dont know who the prophet is, you assume it is the prophet muhammad of islam.

In John 1:21 it says the prophet! If its not jesus (since hes the messiah) and its not john the baptist or elijah, therefore its muhammad! This is a Muhammad of the gaps fallacy.

by shubuhatshubuhat June 27, 2025

The Big A Fallacy

When you only side with people that live in Atlanta, Georgia, thus creating a bias towards those people.

Christian is the biggest user of The Big A Fallacy!

by CrimperxCrimmy July 14, 2025