Straw Man
- “when someone twists what I said into something dumber and argues with that”
- “arguing against a point I never actually made”
- “putting words in my mouth then knocking them down”
- “a debate trick where they exaggerate your view to win”
01 · Side by side
Side by side
Comparison sheet
| Aspect | Straw man | Ad hominem |
|---|---|---|
| The target | The argument, distorted | The person |
| The tactic | Misrepresent, then refute | Discredit the speaker |
| What's dodged | The real claim | The claim entirely |
| Both are | Informal fallacies | Informal fallacies |
02 · Which one you meant
Which one did you mean?
In shortReaders who land here meaning Straw Man rather than Ad hominem are usually searching for phrases like “when someone twists what I said into something dumber and argues with that”, “arguing against a point I never actually made”, “putting words in my mouth then knocking them down”.
03 · Read either one
Read either one in full
04 · Tell these apart too