This type of fallacy is a mix of the "hasty generalization" fallacy and the "association fallacy."
Village Idiot Fallacy: This fallacy occurs when Person A highlights a foolish argument made by Person B and criticizes it. Person A then wrongly assumes that anyone remotely associated with Person B also holds the same foolish belief. This fallacy is often applied to entire groups, especially in online discourse. The term "Village Idiot Fallacy" comes from the idea of pointing to the village idiot and then assuming the entire village shares his beliefs, illustrating guilt by association.
Hasty Generalization: This fallacy occurs when someone makes a broad generalization based on a small or unrepresentative sample. (Person A is making a generalization about a group of people based on the beliefs or actions of one individual, the "village idiot.")
Association Fallacy (Guilt by Association): This occurs when someone asserts that qualities of one thing are inherently qualities of another, merely by an irrelevant association. (Person A is claiming that the whole group shares the same beliefs and qualities of the "village idiot" simply because they are associated with him.)
Combining these concepts this is how "The Village Idiot Fallacy" manifests itself.
Village Idiot Fallacy: This fallacy occurs when Person A highlights a foolish argument made by Person B and criticizes it. Person A then wrongly assumes that anyone remotely associated with Person B also holds the same foolish belief. This fallacy is often applied to entire groups, especially in online discourse. The term "Village Idiot Fallacy" comes from the idea of pointing to the village idiot and then assuming the entire village shares his beliefs, illustrating guilt by association.
Hasty Generalization: This fallacy occurs when someone makes a broad generalization based on a small or unrepresentative sample. (Person A is making a generalization about a group of people based on the beliefs or actions of one individual, the "village idiot.")
Association Fallacy (Guilt by Association): This occurs when someone asserts that qualities of one thing are inherently qualities of another, merely by an irrelevant association. (Person A is claiming that the whole group shares the same beliefs and qualities of the "village idiot" simply because they are associated with him.)
Combining these concepts this is how "The Village Idiot Fallacy" manifests itself.
The Village Idiot Fallacy Example:
Person A: "Person B didn't recycle their plastic bottle after lunch. Can you believe that?"
Person A (later): "People from that apartment complex are so irresponsible. They're all like Person B, not caring about the environment at all."
Person A: "Person B didn't recycle their plastic bottle after lunch. Can you believe that?"
Person A (later): "People from that apartment complex are so irresponsible. They're all like Person B, not caring about the environment at all."
by ApplesPotatoGardner July 9, 2024
Get the The Village Idiot Fallacymug. Your boss's belief that, no matter how much work there is to be done, it will all be finished before the Christmas holidays so "we can start next year with a clean slate." See also "work smarter not harder."
"This is a joke. We'll never get it done before Christmas."
"Yeah, I know. The Christmas Fallacy. Fancy a beer?"
"Yeah, I know. The Christmas Fallacy. Fancy a beer?"
by gav-wan December 2, 2021
Get the The Christmas Fallacymug. "The Oort Cloud Fallacy occurs when someone argues that something must exist or be true simply because it is theoretically possible or hasn't been definitively disproven—especially when the claim is distant, vague, or unverifiable. The fallacy draws its name from the Oort Cloud: a hypothetical region of icy bodies surrounding the solar system that has never been directly observed but is widely accepted due to indirect evidence."
"Hey John, do you believe God exists." "We have no proof he doesn't so he must." "Oort Cloud Fallacy."
by TwinArchive September 28, 2025
Get the Oort Cloud Fallacymug. When you are mid nut and suddenly hit with regret that the nut isn’t worth it but you already committed to it so you must go through with it.
I was halfway through a cringe hookup when I realized I wasn’t into it, but I’d already Ubered there and taken my socks off—sunk nut fallacy at its finest.
by Attic Tards April 5, 2025
Get the Sunk Nut Fallacymug. "Your argument is flawed because your jewish" or " Your argument is flawed because your black" therefore it is a Jew Klux Klan Fallacy.
by i9u8y7t6f7tugvbhk April 24, 2025
Get the Jew Klux Klan Fallacymug. An Appeal to Kaffir Fallacy is when someone (usually a Muslim) appeals to a disbeliever as a source instead of citing their own.
Guy Named Retirement: You cannot kill children in Islam
Guy Named Kay: What's the source?
Guy Named Retirement: Wally knows the source
Guy Named Kay" Aye! That's an Appeal to Kaffir Fallacy!
Guy Named Kay: What's the source?
Guy Named Retirement: Wally knows the source
Guy Named Kay" Aye! That's an Appeal to Kaffir Fallacy!
by wallacewest October 19, 2025
Get the Appeal to Kaffir Fallacymug. The fallacy for when someone of a problematic group tries to justify their harmful ways by trying to convince people there was a silver lining. That it used to be good or still is good its just that there are a few bad people. But really its an excuse and a fake silver lining
"The leader of the cult like group tried to explain his Nickle Lining Fallacy to skeptists to keep them at bay."
by Cbafn July 14, 2025
Get the Nickle Lining Fallacymug.