Fallacy of Absolute Superiority

The belief that one's position, system, or ideology is simply, absolutely superior—not just better than alternatives, but good in itself, the best possible, beyond meaningful criticism. Absolute superiority is the logic of the true believer, the ideologue, the patriot who can't imagine their country being wrong. It's the fallacy that makes criticism impossible because the thing being criticized is definitionally beyond reproach. Absolute superiority doesn't argue; it declares. It doesn't defend; it asserts. It's the favorite fallacy of those who have identified their cause with truth itself, and therefore cannot hear dissent as anything but error.

Fallacy of Absolute Superiority Example: "He didn't defend capitalism; he declared it absolutely superior. Every criticism was met not with argument but with incredulity: 'How can you question the system that has given us everything?' Absolute Superiority meant there was nothing to discuss—capitalism was beyond criticism by definition. The conversation was over before it started, which was exactly what he wanted."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Fallacy of Exhaustive Conviction

The fallacy of demanding that one's opponent be absolutely, exhaustively convinced before any action can be taken or any conclusion reached. "You're not 100% certain, so you can't act." The fallacy sets an impossible standard—complete conviction, total certainty, no doubt whatsoever—and uses it to block any decision, any action, any conclusion. It's the logic of the certainty trap applied to conviction: since nothing can be known with absolute certainty, nothing can be done. The Fallacy of Exhaustive Conviction is beloved of those who want to maintain the status quo, who can always find a reason to wait, to study further, to demand more certainty.

Fallacy of Exhaustive Conviction Example: "She was 95% sure the policy would help, but he demanded exhaustive conviction: 'You can't be absolutely certain, so we can't act.' The 5% doubt was enough to block the 95% certainty. The Fallacy of Exhaustive Conviction had done its work: making action impossible by demanding impossible certainty."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Fallacy of Impossible Convincing

The fallacy of assuming that it is possible to convince or argue with anyone about anything—including positions so extreme, so absurd, so morally repugnant that they should be beyond the pale of debate. The Fallacy of Impossible Convincing imagines that reason is omnipotent, that every position can be engaged, that no topic is off-limits for discussion. It leads people to "debate" whether slavery should be reinstated, whether genocide has merits, whether racism is defensible—as if these were open questions rather than settled horrors. The fallacy ignores that some positions are not reached through reason and cannot be dislodged by it. Engaging them as if they were reasonable gives them legitimacy they don't deserve.

Example: "He insisted on debating whether racism had any merits—'just to hear all sides.' The Fallacy of Impossible Convincing had convinced him that every position deserved a hearing, that reason could handle anything. But some things aren't positions; they're atrocities. Engaging them as arguments legitimizes what should only be condemned. He wasn't being open-minded; he was being complicit."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Honeymoon Fallacy

The mistaken belief that the affective intensity of early romantic attachment is a permanent state rather than a temporary phase requiring later replacement by practiced intimacy and relational maintenance.

Matthew: Remember that movie To the Wonder (2012), Terrence Malick's poetic examination of relationships, where Ben Affleck, an American, falls in love with Olga Kurylenko, a French, in Paris and then she and her daughter move with him to the U.S.

Matthew (cont.): And then when their union falters, he considers becoming involved with Rachel McAdams, an old girlfriend, allthewhile, Javier Bardem, a priest, contemplates the relationship between God/Jesus and love?

Ari: Yeah.... That Honeymoon Fallacy's a real bitch

by Malokingi23 February 23, 2026

Fallacy of Absolute Privation (Fallacy of Communism Killed Millions)

A logical fallacy where someone dismisses an entire ideology, system, or idea by pointing to its worst outcomes, stripped of all context, history, and mitigating factors. The name comes from the classic "Communism killed millions" argument—which isn't false on its face, but becomes fallacious when used to end all discussion without examining specific contexts, variations, alternatives, or comparative harms. The Fallacy of Absolute Privation isolates the worst instances, treats them as the whole truth, and uses suffering as a conversation-stopper. It's not that the suffering isn't real—it's that citing it without context, comparison, or analysis is a rhetorical weapon, not an argument. Any system, ideology, or idea can be condemned by its worst expressions; the fallacy is pretending that's the end of the story.

Fallacy of Absolute Privation (Fallacy of Communism Killed Millions) "We were discussing educational reforms, and someone mentioned learning from Nordic models. Response: 'Nordic socialism? You mean like Communism that killed millions?' That's the Fallacy of Absolute Privation—conflating Nordic social democracy with Soviet communism, ignoring all context, and using historical tragedy to shut down discussion of school lunch programs."

by Dumu The Void February 24, 2026

Fallacy of Isolated Privation

A fallacy where someone takes a single isolated instance of harm, suffering, or failure and uses it to condemn an entire system, practice, or idea. Unlike Absolute Privation (which focuses on the worst historical examples), Isolated Privation grabs one anecdote—one medical error, one plane crash, one bad teacher—and treats it as representative of the whole. "One patient died from this treatment, therefore the treatment is worthless." "One plane crashed, therefore air travel is unsafe." "One priest abused a child, therefore the entire institution is evil." The isolated case may be real, but using it to condemn the whole ignores base rates, statistical reasoning, and the difference between exceptions and rules.

"My aunt tried acupuncture once and didn't feel better. Now she says 'Acupuncture is complete fraud' every time it's mentioned. That's Fallacy of Isolated Privation—one anecdote, zero context, infinite certainty. The plural of anecdote is not data, Karen."

by Dumu The Void February 24, 2026

Fallacy of Specific Privation

A fallacy where someone identifies a specific harm, flaw, or failure within a system and uses that specific critique to dismiss the entire system without addressing its other aspects, benefits, or complexities. The critique may be valid—the specific privation is real—but the fallacy lies in treating it as dispositive, as if acknowledging one problem means nothing else matters. "This hospital has long waiting times, therefore healthcare is completely broken." "This politician made a mistake, therefore everything they've done is worthless." "This theory has one unexplained phenomenon, therefore the whole theory is garbage." Specific Privation mistakes a part for the whole, a flaw for a failure, a critique for a conclusion.

"I pointed out one limitation in a philosophical framework I generally admire. Response: 'Aha! So you admit it's completely wrong!' That's Fallacy of Specific Privation—a valid critique of one aspect becomes, in their hands, proof that the whole thing is worthless. Criticism isn't condemnation, but try telling them that."

by Dumu The Void February 24, 2026