Strawman is a fallacy where someone misrepresents another person’s claim into a weaker, more extreme, or different version—then attacks that version instead of the original. It often works by exaggeration, oversimplification, or quoting out of context.

Strawmen derail problem‑solving: people argue past each other, positions harden, and the real disagreement goes untouched. Discussions get louder but less accurate.

Counter‑moves: (1) Ask, “Is this a fair restatement of your point?” and steelman it. (2) Quote the exact claim and test the reasons and evidence for that claim. (3) Watch scope words (some → all, likely → certain). (4) Note the difference between policy disagreements and person judgments.