A logical fallacy where one dismisses an argument by attacking the opponent's intelligence, typically with variations of "you're
stupid." The fallacy lies in treating
IQ as a proxy for correctness, as if being less intelligent automatically makes someone wrong about a particular claim. "You're too
dumb to understand" becomes a way of avoiding engagement, a preemptive dismissal that requires no evidence and addresses no substance. This fallacy is the
lazy debater's favorite: rather than explain why a position is wrong, simply assert that only stupid
people would hold it, thereby positioning oneself as intelligent without demonstrating any actual intelligence through reasoned argument.
Example: "He couldn't explain why her economic analysis was flawed, so he just called her
stupid. Argumentum
Ad Intelligentiam: when you can't win the argument, attack the arguer's
IQ."