Fallacy · Changing the subject
Straw man
Also called: Misrepresenting the other side
Replacing someone’s argument with a weaker or more extreme version, then knocking that down.
What it is
It is easy to win against a position nobody holds. A straw man exaggerates, simplifies or twists what the other person said, defeats the distorted version, and then claims victory over the real one. The better habit is the steelman: state the other view so well its owner would agree with you.
An example
“We should have fewer cars in the town center.” “So you want to ban cars and make everyone walk everywhere?” Nobody proposed a ban.
How to spot it
The version being attacked is more extreme, sillier or simpler than anything the person actually said.
How to answer it
“That isn’t what I said. My point was narrower: fewer cars in the center, not none.”
When it is not a fallacy
Putting someone’s view in fewer words is fair when they would accept the summary. The test is whether they would say “yes, that is my point” before you answer it.
Printable sheet of all fallacies
Cite or share this page
A plain reference you can paste into notes or an essay:
Quest2Reason. “Straw man.” https://quest2reason.com/learn/ideas/fallacies/straw-man. Accessed 13 November 2026.