Fallacy · Changing the subject
Tu quoque
Also called: “You too”, whataboutism
Dismissing a criticism because the critic does the same thing.
What it is
A hypocrite can still be right. If smoking is harmful, it stays harmful when a smoker says so. Pointing out the inconsistency may say something about the speaker, but the claim still has to be answered on its own terms.
An example
A parent says, “You shouldn’t spend so long on your phone.” The teenager replies, “You’re on yours all evening!” Both can be true, and the advice can still be good.
How to spot it
The answer to “you do X” is “so do you”, and the original point quietly disappears.
How to answer it
“Fair, I should change that too. Now, is the point itself right?”
When it is not a fallacy
Inconsistency is a fair point when the question is whether someone sincerely holds a view, or whether a rule is being applied evenly.
Printable sheet of all fallacies
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A plain reference you can paste into notes or an essay:
Quest2Reason. “Tu quoque.” https://quest2reason.com/learn/ideas/fallacies/tu-quoque. Accessed 13 November 2026.