Strawman Fallacy

What 99% of the definitions and examples on Urban Dictionary articles that have even the smallest relationship with religion and/or politics.

Strawman Fallacy:
From UD's humanist entry: "Ha, you believe in God? We humanists are smarter than you because we think we are just going to rot in a hole in the ground and that the universe just appeared on it's own one day."

"And that is smart because...?"

"Uh... gay pride?"

"God have mercy on these morons..."

Strawman Fallacy: From UD's entry on liberal: 2. "I hate liberals. Stupid pinko liberals are ruining America."
"Yeah, damn liberals and their...their...liberty. Psht, this is America, we don't need liberty. God bless America."
"Hey, wait..."

by Flambe December 18, 2009

Inverted Strawman Fallacy

A specific form of strawman where the person inverts the typical dynamic by claiming that the term used to describe them doesn't apply because they don't understand it. The classic "you can't call me racist because I don't know what racism means." This inverts the strawman: instead of misrepresenting someone's position, they misrepresent the term's applicability, using their own ignorance as a shield. The fallacy lies in making the validity of a description depend on the described person's vocabulary rather than their actions.

"He used racial slurs, but when called racist, said 'I don't even know what racism is, so you can't call me that.' That's Inverted Strawman Fallacy—making his ignorance the standard for judgment. But actions define racism, not vocabulary. Not knowing the word doesn't make the deed disappear. Ignorance as innocence is a con, not a defense."

by Dumu The Void March 3, 2026

Straw Man Fallacy Fallacy

The error of accusing someone of constructing a Straw Man when they have actually provided a fair, accurate paraphrase or logical extrapolation of an opponent's position. This fallacy fallacy is a defensive maneuver used to dodge strong counter-arguments by claiming misrepresentation, often by insisting on an overly literal, hyper-narrow reading of one's own words to avoid their implied consequences.

Straw Man Fallacy Fallacy Example: Person A: "We should abolish the police." Person B: "So you believe in a state of anarchy with no public safety mechanism?" Person A shouts, "Straw man! I didn't say that!" But Person B's reply is a reasonable interrogation of the practical implication of the stated position. The accusation is itself fallacious—a Straw Man Fallacy Fallacy.

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 4, 2026