In this series of articles, we discuss common logical fallacies and try to inform the skeptical reader as to how to spot and avoid them. This article discusses the false dichotomy fallacy, which is also known under many names, including the black-or-white fallacy, either/or fallacy, false dilemma, no middle ground [5] and others [6]. 

Dichotomy is “a difference between two opposite things or ideas” [1], while false dichotomy is a stratagem used to present two contrasting alternatives as seemingly mutually exclusive sides of a given dilemma. In other words, instead of taking into account intermediate aspects, a debater dismisses this “middle ground” in favor of simplifying the issue to a false either-or choice. 

People who live in democracies with a bipartisan system often fall victim to this logical error. When talking about politics, they often assume that if their interlocutor doesn’t support one of the two main parties, say, the Labor Party in the UK, they must therefore support the Conservative Party. This is not the case – the person in question could be a supporter of green activists, be a passionate anarchist, or not be interested in politics at all.

An example of this fallacy can also be found in an everyday saying: “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem” [5]. A person could not be aware of any problem or have a neutral approach to it. Someone else might think that the said problem actually has some positive side-effects and doesn’t need solving. There could also be people who don’t feel sufficiently informed to take a stance. In other words, there are other possibilities than the stated oversimplification.

Naturally, the either-or fallacy appears in politics and propaganda, too. It was employed by President George W. Bush in his Presidential Address to the US Congress on 21.09.2001 after the infamous attacks of September 11: “Either you’re with us, or you are with the terrorists” [2]. This Americentrism [3] fails to take into account billions of people with their own serious problems prevalent in any of the other almost 200 countries in the world [4].

Interestingly but not necessarily, the black-or-white type of thinking can be associated with several psychological disorders. Splitting, as it is also called in psychology [7], is a way of thinking in absolutes which prevents the person from “seeing life the way it really is: complex, uncertain, and constantly changing” [10]. Language often betrays splitting in absolute words [11] such as always or never [12]. Black and white thinking may be a symptom of Narcissistic Personality Disorder [7], Borderline Personality Disorder [8, 9], or other conditions [10]*. 

Humans sometimes cope with reality by using quick and simplistic judgments. It may therefore seem that avoiding fallacies is almost impossible. After all, many of us are introduced to false dichotomy rather early – “Put on a hat or you’ll get a cold!”; you probably won’t [13]. Still, even though it might be difficult, it is prudent to remember that dilemmas are nuanced and rarely limited to two opposites.

*Please note that this is not a medical article and its goal is not to diagnose conditions but to inform about logical fallacies. Psychological disorders should be diagnosed, consulted and treated professionally.