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
Get the Arbitrary Burden of Proof mug.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
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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
Get the Arbitrary Dilemma Fallacy mug.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.
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by akitoyanui October 2, 2025
Get the akitoyaphilosopher mug.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?!?)
by arihater April 29, 2025
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