The Strawman Fallacy
In debates or disagreements, especially online, it’s common to hear people attacking arguments that weren’t actually made. This is known as the strawman fallacy — and it’s one of the most common errors in reasoning.
A strawman is when someone misrepresents another person’s point, making it weaker, more extreme, or easier to attack — and then refutes that version instead of the real one.
For example, if one person says, “We should think about how schools are funded,” and someone replies, “Oh, so you think we should just throw money at everything?” — that’s a strawman. It takes a fair point and twists it into something exaggerated and easy to dismiss.
Why the Strawman matters
Learning to avoid strawman arguments helps children think more clearly, listen more carefully, and argue more honestly. It teaches them that winning an argument isn’t about beating the other person — it’s about understanding and exploring the truth.
This is especially important for Black children, who often find themselves in spaces where their views are challenged or misunderstood. By learning to recognise strawman arguments — and avoid using them — they develop confidence, clarity, and intellectual self-defence.
When our children know how to say, “That’s not what I said — let me explain what I meant,” they’re standing up not just for their ideas, but for fairness in how we talk to one another.
Examples of Strawman arguments
Strawman arguments show up all the time — in family disagreements, political debates, and classroom discussions.
- Child: “I don’t think homework helps me learn.”
- Parent: “So you want to quit school altogether?”
- Student: “We should talk more about Black history in lessons.”
- Teacher: “You just want to erase everyone else’s history.”
Both of these replies twist a reasonable point into something extreme — and in doing so, shut down the chance for meaningful discussion.
Teaching our children to avoid Strawman thinking
Here are a few ways to help your child avoid strawman thinking:
- Encourage them to repeat back what they heard before responding. (“So you’re saying…?”)
- Teach them to ask questions, not assume intentions.
- Show them how to steelman — that is, respond to the strongest version of someone’s argument, not the weakest.
Raising children who can think fairly and clearly helps them become leaders who bring wisdom and understanding into the spaces they move through — from the playground to the boardroom.
