Fallacy of Impossible Evidence

The strategic demand for evidence that cannot exist in principle, often used to dismiss claims that are nevertheless well-supported by the evidence that does exist. Unlike demanding more evidence (which can be reasonable), this fallacy demands evidence of a fundamentally different kind—usually the kind that would require time travel, omniscience, or violation of physical law to obtain. "Where were you at 3:17 AM on June 12th, 2008?" when discussing a general pattern of behavior. "Show me a fossil of the exact moment one species became another" when discussing evolution. It weaponizes the impossibility of perfect records against the possibility of any knowledge at all.

Example: "He demanded security footage from a store that burned down in 1985 to prove I shopped there—pure Fallacy of Impossible Evidence, since the evidence he required was literally ashes."

by Dumu The Void March 11, 2026

Fallacy of Impossible Rationality

The practice of demanding that an opponent's reasoning be free of any and all cognitive bias, emotional influence, or cultural perspective before it can be considered valid. It sets an unattainable standard of "pure reason" that no human has ever achieved, then uses the inevitable failure to meet it as grounds for dismissal. This fallacy is common among those who have just discovered that biases exist and now use that discovery to disqualify any argument they disagree with. "You only believe that because of confirmation bias" becomes a conversation-ender, as if having a bias automatically makes a claim false, and as if the speaker themselves were miraculously bias-free.

Example: "He dismissed every study I cited with 'that's just your Western rationality'—a Fallacy of Impossible Rationality pretending that because perfect objectivity doesn't exist, all reasoning is equally worthless."

by Dumu The Void March 11, 2026

Fallacy of Impossible Reason

A close cousin to impossible rationality, this fallacy demands that an opponent's reasoning process be flawless, complete, and self-contained according to an impossibly strict standard before it can be engaged with. It's the "gotcha" of pointing out that an argument has unstated premises, that it relies on some assumptions, or that it isn't mathematically formalized—as if any human communication could meet such standards. The fallacy lies in using the inevitable gaps and imperfections in all reasoning as an excuse to reject the reasoning entirely, rather than engaging with its substance. It turns the legitimate observation that "no argument is perfect" into the illegitimate conclusion that "therefore no argument is worthwhile."

Example: "He demanded I write my position as a series of formal logical propositions with every premise explicitly stated—a Fallacy of Impossible Reason designed to make conversation so tedious I'd just give up."

by Dumu The Void March 11, 2026

Fallacy

A mistaken belief.

Hym "I mean, the level of fallacy being espoused is ridiculous. Fallacy means literally 'that you are mistaken in believing that the words that you are saying is consistent with the conclusion you are drawing' and, therefore, aren't justified in saying it or acting on the conclusion. Fallacy = Retarded."

by Hym Iam January 4, 2026

itchy falla

a bar or bat mitzvah for a person who is not actually jewish; this can occur at any time or place and for any age

Hey Nora, didn't we have such a great Itchy Falla?

by avila June 18, 2008

el-fallah

When you shave your manly beard off and wear suits all the time. You must also complain about the state you live in all of the time.

Man! That guy is a total el-fallah.

I wish you wouldn't shave your beard because it makes you look like a complete el-fallah.

Bro your suit makes you look so el-fallah.

'Do I look like an el-fallah?" "Kind of now."

by LumpyPeeps September 17, 2013

fryan fallacy

The Fryan Fallacy is when you don't know what you're talking about and link the first thing you find on google that you think supports your opinion, but it outright refutes it.

Your own source debunked your own claim. You just committed the Fryan Fallacy.

by JimmyJimJimmm January 16, 2019