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Arbitrary Fallacy

The meta-fallacy of committing a fallacy simply because you've decided that logic doesn't apply to you, your argument, or your preferred conclusions. It's the rhetorical equivalent of playing chess and declaring that your pieces can move however you want because you've decided the rules are arbitrary. The arbitrary fallacy encompasses all other fallacies, but with the added twist that the person committing it knows they're being illogical and simply doesn't care. They've decided that their truth is truer than your facts, their logic is logicaler than your logic, and no amount of reasoning will change their mind because reasoning is just, like, your opinion, man.
Example: "He committed the arbitrary fallacy in every debate. When presented with evidence, he said evidence was unreliable. When presented with logic, he said logic was a Western construct. When asked what he would accept, he said 'common sense,' which meant whatever he already believed. There was no way to win, because he had declared the game rigged and was playing by his own rules, which changed constantly."
by Dumu The Void February 15, 2026
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Arbitrary Burden of Proof

The meta-fallacy where one side is forced to prove every assertion, back every claim, and satisfy every demand for evidence, while the other side can simply move goalposts, demand new sources, dismiss evidence as insufficient, and never provide anything themselves. The arbitrary burden of proof is the debate equivalent of one person carrying a piano while the other skips ahead, occasionally turning around to complain that the piano-carrier isn't keeping up. It's how conspiracy theorists can demand that scientists prove negatives (prove that vaccines don't cause autism, prove that the moon landing wasn't fake), while offering no proof for their own claims and dismissing any evidence against them as part of the conspiracy.
Example: "She was trapped under an arbitrary burden of proof. Every time she provided a source, he moved the sourcepost. Every time she met his standard, he raised it. After two hours, she'd provided twenty sources, and he'd provided zero. When she asked what he believed, he said 'I'm just asking questions.' The questions were infinite, the answers were never enough, and the burden was hers alone."
by Dumu The Void February 15, 2026
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Related Words

Arithmomerophobia

A specific form of mathematical anxiety characterized by an intense aversion to, or fear of, rational numbers (fractions and decimals) when encountered within algebraic structures.
I was doing fine with the algebra homework until the teacher added decimals. My arithmomerophobia kicked in and I just stared at the page for twenty minutes
by Cobear15 February 25, 2026
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Apithonie

A fuckass way to spell the word 'epiphany' popularized by Crazybark101
"Just had an apithonie or however you spell that word. YouTube TOS is becoming something like that of how Nintendo games are. Is all gotta be family friendly nine times outta ten and like why?"
by Cryonix December 18, 2024
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Ardit

Yo vro ur acting like Ardit
by bin012 December 31, 2024
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Arithiriyan Prakash Thiyagarajaa

A guy/girl who never shows up to fucking class. This fucking dumbass fails to show up for anything yet he never fails to beat you at everything. Rain or shine (mostly just rain), you can NOT count on him. (But srsly how tf are his grades still better than mine when he has 400 goddamn absences?!?)
Who tf are you? Arithiriyan Prakash Thiyagarajaa? I have never seen you in this class before
by arihater April 29, 2025
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Arbitrage Reborn

Refers to an elusive, almost ghostly process where a connection is re-birthed between two entities, enabling a profitable arbitrage opportunity to be reborn. This phenomenon mimics a rebirth, as it revives a previously dormant or lost chance to exploit price differences across entities.
"I've just closed out an arbitrage reborn".
by Rivalry Reborn September 11, 2025
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