Why People Love Fighting Fake Versions of Each Other

Why People Love Fighting Fake Versions of Each Other

You cannot talk about anything without someone running full speed into a Straw Man.

You say, "I like turkey hunting better than deer hunting." They say, "So you hate deer and want Thanksgiving without a real meal."

You say, "I prefer drinking Kentucky bourbon neat." They say, "Oh, so you think you are better than everyone."

Or the classic: You say, "Louisville traffic is rough today." They say, "If you hate Kentucky so much, why do you even live here?"

Sir. I said the Watterson was busy. I did not request relocation to Montana.

The Straw Man always sounds dramatic because it has to. Otherwise, the person swinging at it would notice that nobody said the thing they are fighting about.

Why People Use It Without Realizing It

It is easier to attack a dumb argument than a real one.

People build Straw Men because:

• It makes them feel smart.

• It helps them avoid the actual complexity of a topic.

• It gives the illusion of winning.

• It lets emotions jump the line in front of logic.

It is arguing in beginner mode.

And worst of all? It stops honest conversations from ever happening.

You cannot solve a problem when you are arguing with a problem you invented.

How To Stop It

Look for these signs: someone repeats your point back in a way that sounds suspiciously stupid, responds to a claim you didn't make, or stretches your reasonable idea into nonsense.

The fix? Listen fully. Repeat their point back accurately. Respond to what they actually said, not the exaggerated version your brain cooked up.

And if someone does it to you, we have a simple Kentucky phrase that defeats every Straw Man ever created: "That's not what I said."

It resets the conversation. It calls out the nonsense. It brings everyone back to Earth.

Dudes in this state have used that line to settle fishing arguments, political arguments, church parking lot arguments, and at least one shouting match about who actually bought the good lawnmower.

We solved the fallacy without even knowing the term.