Library
Browse every technique, or search for one.
Ad Hominem
Attack the person making the argument instead of the argument itself.
Cognitive biasAnchoring
Let the first number you see shape every judgement that follows, even when it's arbitrary.
FallacyAppeal to Authority
Treat a claim as true mainly because someone with status said it, not because of the evidence.
FallacyAppeal to Emotion
Use fear, pity, or outrage to win agreement instead of evidence.
Cognitive biasAvailability Heuristic
Judge how common or risky something is by how easily an example comes to mind, not by the actual rate.
Cognitive biasBandwagon Effect
Believe something is more likely to be true because a lot of other people believe it.
FallacyCircular Reasoning
Use the conclusion as a premise for itself, dressed up as a separate reason.
Cognitive biasConfirmation Bias
Notice and remember evidence that confirms what you already believe, and overlook what doesn't.
Cognitive biasDunning-Kruger Effect
The less someone knows about a topic, the worse they tend to be at judging their own knowledge of it.
FallacyFalse Dilemma
Present only two options when more actually exist.
Rhetorical trickFalse Equivalence
Present two things as morally or logically equal when their scale is very different.
Rhetorical trickGish Gallop
Fire off so many weak claims so fast that no one has time to rebut them properly.
Rhetorical trickLoaded Question
Ask a question that already assumes something the other person hasn't agreed to.
Rhetorical trickMotte-and-Bailey
Defend an easy, modest claim while actually arguing for a bold, controversial one.
Rhetorical trickMoving the Goalposts
Raise the bar for proof each time the current bar gets met.
FallacySlippery Slope
Claim one small step inevitably leads to an extreme outcome, without showing why.
FallacyStrawman
Argue against a distorted version of the claim instead of the real one.
Cognitive biasSunk Cost Fallacy
Keep going with something because of what you've already invested, not because it's still worth it.
Rhetorical trickWhataboutism
Deflect criticism by pointing at someone else's unrelated wrongdoing.