Tu quoque
Also called: Whataboutism, You too
Dismissing a criticism by pointing out that the critic does the same thing.
How to spot it
Does the reply show the criticism is wrong, or only that the critic is no better?
Example
“You say I should stop being late, but you were late last week.”
How to answer it
Grant the point if it's fair, then say that it doesn't change whether the original criticism is right.
Related
- Ad hominem: Attacking the person making the argument instead of the argument.
- Red herring: Slipping in a different topic to lead the discussion away from the point.