You Might Be Reading A Straw Man Argument If:
Tis the season for elections and gorilla assasinations. People are suddenly vocal about feelings, mostly on Facebook and blogs. It is also a time of sharing articles that describe how you feel about issues. I love that Facebook and blogs let people connect, debate, and share ideas. I don't love that those same tools can alienate and insult your loved ones. So before you click "Share" and type, "YESSS THIS!!!!" or "I'm just going to leave this here..." ask yourself: Is this a straw man argument? A simple definition of a straw man comes from Wikipedia : "A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not advanced by that opponent." A simpler definition comes from me: "A straw man is an argument that attacks ideas that you claim your opponent has, but actually...they don't think those things at all...