Fallacy of the Relative Exception (Fallacy of "All Other Alternatives Are Worse")

A fallacy that defends a flawed position by comparing it to even worse alternatives, without ever addressing the flaws themselves. "Sure, our healthcare system is broken, but at least it's not as bad as Country X." The fallacy doesn't solve the problem; it just points to someone else's greater problems as a reason to accept one's own. This is the logical skeleton of the "lesser evil" argument, of "it could be worse," of every defense of the status quo that never actually defends the status quo—it just points to something worse. The fallacy ignores that the existence of worse alternatives does not make a bad alternative good, and that the goal should be improvement, not comparison. It's the favorite fallacy of those who benefit from things staying exactly as they are.

Fallacy of the Relative Exception (Fallacy of "All Other Alternatives Are Worse") Example: "She pointed out the corruption, the inequality, the failing infrastructure. He responded with the Fallacy of the Relative Exception: 'But look at Country Y—they have it so much worse.' The problems she listed remained unaddressed, unsolved, untouched. The existence of somewhere worse was supposed to make her somewhere better. It didn't."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

DEAR GOD ITS ALL MARIO

basically a part where Flamingo added a lot of marios in a ‘guess the character’ game he made and some player realized there was a lot of mario

mastersimtropolis: mario

mastersimtropolis: mario

mastersimtropolis: mario

mastersimtropolis: DEAR GOD ITS ALL MARIO

by dude who likes Kevin Spencer February 22, 2026

Your so handy! In all CAPS!

Someone who thinks they've got it all figured out and shows their ignorance off in front of others proudly.

A person trying to show off and failing miserably.

A light-hearted and funny way to take your friends or whoever down a peg when their ego's become over inflated.

Getting rewarded for losing (or just barely participating)

Birkenstocks and socks? Now that's*Handy in all CAPS!"

Wow! I can't believe you actually removed all the stickers from that rubik's cube and organized all the color's on each side! Your so handy! In all CAPS!

Handy in all CAPS Moment:
Wow Gretel bread crumbs REALLY?!?!

by RyanMatthewBrown1980 February 23, 2026

Your so handy! In all CAPS!

Someone who thinks they've got it all figured out and shows their ignorance off in front of others proudly.

A person trying to show off and failing miserably.

A light-hearted and funny way to take your friends or whoever down a peg when their ego's become over inflated.

Getting rewarded for losing (or just barely participating)

Birkenstocks and socks? Now that's*Handy in all CAPS!"

Wow! I can't believe you actually removed all the stickers from that rubik's cube and organized all the color's on each side! Your so handy! In all CAPS!

Handy in all CAPS Moment:
Wow Gretel bread crumbs REALLY?!?!

by RyanMatthewBrown1980 February 23, 2026