Either–Or Fallacy

Speakers might try to persuade by using the either-or fallacy (sometimes called the false dilemma fallacy), presenting only two alternatives on a subject and failing to acknowledge other alternatives. For example, in a speech about local sports teams, Charlie notes, “In this town, you’re either a Bears fan or a Packers fan.” He fails to acknowledge that there might be fans of other football teams living in the city or individuals who don’t care about football at all.