Skip to main content

Fallacy of General Privation

A fallacy where someone makes a vague, general accusation of harm or failure—"this system causes suffering," "this idea has negative consequences," "these people have done bad things"—without specifying what harm, to whom, under what conditions, or compared to what alternatives. The accusation is broad enough to be unfalsifiable and vague enough to avoid evidence. General Privation trades on the emotional power of "harm" without the intellectual work of demonstrating it. It's the rhetorical equivalent of "something bad happened somewhere, therefore your point is invalid." The privation is asserted, not demonstrated; generalized, not specified; weaponized, not analyzed.
"Every time I try to discuss economic policy, someone says 'Capitalism causes suffering.' That's the Fallacy of General Privation—vague enough to be unanswerable, broad enough to shut down discussion, and completely useless for actual policy analysis. What suffering? Where? Compared to what? The generality is the point—it's a conversation-ender, not a contribution."
by Dumu The Void February 24, 2026
mugGet the Fallacy of General Privation mug.

Pissing in a dollar general

A saying indicating that you feel really powerful or bad ass.
Imagine taking a piss in the aisle of a dollar general, while making relentless eye contact with the cashier - pretty powerful.
I finally gave my misogynistic coworker a piece of my mind today. I feel like I'm pissing in a dollar general.
by Blameitonthealchohol May 12, 2025
mugGet the Pissing in a dollar general mug.

people that use yui define in general

retars that cant unedrstand what bot-cmds is for
"people that use yui define in general chat are retarded"
by tugars June 26, 2018
mugGet the people that use yui define in general mug.

song: them being annoying in general

lyrics:

Annica
Cher, i kn0w the @n5wer can 1 help,
Cher, me, me , me

John
Cher, me
Me, cher
"I love the song: them being annoying in general."
by Peanut💫❤ September 8, 2020
mugGet the song: them being annoying in general mug.
Angel Hellstrom JOse RObles Will Kill YOu FOr Any General COntent And Context Of Anything!!!
Angel Hellstrom JOse RObles Will Kill YOu FOr Any General COntent And Context Of Anything!!!
by Angel234IsTheDarkSeraphim April 25, 2025
mugGet the Angel Hellstrom JOse RObles Will Kill YOu FOr Any General COntent And Context Of Anything!!! mug.
I, Angel Hellstrom Jose Robles Project Perspectives In The General Context Of Things
I, Angel Hellstrom Jose Robles Project Perspectives In The General Context Of Things
by Angel234IsTheDarkSeraphim April 26, 2025
mugGet the I, Angel Hellstrom Jose Robles Project Perspectives In The General Context Of Things mug.

Share this definition

Sign in to vote

We'll email you a link to sign in instantly.

Or

Check your email

We sent a link to

Open your email