False dilemma
Also called: Either/or, Black and white thinking
Presenting two options as if they were the only ones.
How to spot it
Look for “either… or” and “with us or against us”. Is there a third choice being hidden?
Example
“You're either for this plan or you want the company to fail.”
How to answer it
Name the options that were left out.
Related
- Loaded question: Asking a question that has a disputed assumption built into it.
- Slippery slope: Claiming that one small step will inevitably lead to a terrible outcome, without showing each link.
- False equivalence: Treating two things as equal because they share one feature.