A straw man fallacy occurs when someone distorts or exaggerates another person’s argument, and then attacks the distorted version of the argument instead of refuting the original point. By using a straw man, someone can give the appearance of refuting an argument when they have not actually engaged with the original ideas.
In our comic, we see a personification of a straw man used to derail a debate about climate change:
For a screen reader compatible slideshow version of the comic, please click through the below images:
Of course, in real life, straw man fallacies won’t literally jump out at you like in our comic. This fallacy can be a very easy trap to fall into as misrepresenting or exaggerating an opponent’s position, even unintentionally, can feel like a shortcut to winning an argument. To avoid straw man fallacies, it’s important to practice active listening skills and to ask direct clarifying questions.
When dealing with a straw man, don’t be afraid to repeat yourself. Restating the terms of an argument and prompting your opponent to acknowledge them can be like a strong wind that blows away straw men.