What it sounds like
- You are wrong because you are an idiot.
- In a staff meeting: "Of course Maya wants the budget reviewed; she is always negative." The budget still exists, quietly unpaid for.
Logical fallacy
Ad Hominem
Attacking the person instead of the argument.
Classic tell: You are wrong because you are an idiot.
Back to the guideFurther explanation
What is happening underneath?
Attacking the person instead of the argument.
The argument is shoved offstage and the person gets put under a spotlight. It can feel satisfying because judging a person is faster than evaluating evidence.
How to tell
- The reply would still fail even if the speaker were annoying, hypocritical, badly dressed, or having a historically poor hair day.
Why people use it
- It protects status by turning scrutiny outward. If the speaker becomes the issue, the claim does not have to be answered.
How to combat it
- Say: "We can talk about my flaws after we deal with the claim. What part of the evidence is wrong?"
Manipulation watch
How this gets used on people.
- Campaigns and brands use character attacks to make audiences feel they have evaluated an idea when they have only evaluated a vibe.