Rhetorical Debate Tactics

Comments in this cluster focus on identifying and criticizing disingenuous arguing strategies like sealioning, whataboutism, JAQing off, and bad faith rhetoric used to derail conversations.

📉 Falling 0.4x Politics & Society
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#726
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Keywords

GP HN BS en.m i.e wikipedia.org rhetorical tactic argument arguing bad faith trick attack strategy deny downplay

Sample Comments

jshen Sep 25, 2009 View on HN

this is a nice rhetorical trick used to avoid thinking about the issue at hand.

mrguyorama Jan 7, 2021 View on HN

It's called arguing in bad faith

biophysboy Dec 9, 2025 View on HN

This is a speculative, intuitive reflex meant to derail an argument.

oldmanjay Feb 26, 2016 View on HN

As an observer of this conversation, I'd like you to know that you're arguing with a rhetorical device.

neotek Oct 23, 2014 View on HN

Don't put words in his mouth, that's a shitty debating tactic.

klodolph Aug 11, 2021 View on HN

That's a super disingenuous way to argue. It only really works at getting people mad, and it's not even very good at that.

ryguytilidie Mar 12, 2014 View on HN

I like this arguing tactic of intentional obtuseness!

throwawayacc3 Dec 18, 2022 View on HN

These people know their arguments are disingenuous. It's just a tactic to derail the conversation to protect the narrative and groomers from criticism and accountability.

alexthehurst Apr 8, 2023 View on HN

This is an unfair debate tactic.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealioning

always_good Apr 11, 2018 View on HN

It's a cheap rhetorical tactic. The negative used to incite someone to talk about X instead of just "What about X?"