Debate Brain

A term used to describe someone who typically tries to turn any slight disagreement, conversation, argument, etc. into a full blown debate session. Often to the point of coming off as a pretentious dork and an asshole.

“Dude, everyone likes Coke over Pepsi. It’s just better.”
“You are using a bandwagon fallacy.”
“Holy debate brain.”

by r7949393727274 June 6, 2025

Meta-Debate

The debate about how to properly conduct a debate, which inevitably becomes a more heated and pedantic debate than the original one. It's when the argument shifts from the topic (e.g., "Is pizza a sandwich?") to the rules of engagement ("You're using an ad hominem!", "No, that's a tu quoque!"). It's the rhetorical equivalent of two lawyers arguing over courtroom procedure while the jury dies of old age. The goal is no longer to persuade, but to win by declaring the other person's entire mode of discussion invalid.

Example: "We started arguing about rent control, but within minutes we were in a full meta-debate about logical fallacies, burden of proof, and the definition of 'evidence.' Two hours later, we'd solved nothing about housing but were deeply angry about the proper use of the Socratic method."

by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026

Hasty Debate

A debate that begins before the participants have fully understood the topic, defined their terms, or agreed on the rules of engagement. It’s a race to speak first rather than to understand best, guaranteeing confusion and talking past one another.

Example: "The 'discussion' on climate change instantly became a hasty debate. Within 30 seconds, they were shouting about Al Gore's electricity bill and winter snowstorms, having never agreed on whether they were debating the science, the economics, or the politics of the issue."

by AbzuInExile January 31, 2026

Sweeping Debate

A debate where the scope relentlessly expands to encompass larger and larger philosophical, historical, or moral questions, making resolution impossible. Every point about a specific tax policy sweeps into a debate about the nature of justice, freedom, and human existence.

Example: "What started as a debate about pizza toppings swept into a debate about Italian cultural appropriation, the agricultural industry, animal ethics, and the philosophy of taste. Two hours later, no one knew if pineapple was acceptable, but everyone was angry about capitalism." Sweeping Debate

by AbzuInExile January 31, 2026

General Debate

A structured, conventional debate on a broad topic, following established formats and norms, with the goal of persuading a third party or exploring the strengths of opposing viewpoints. Think presidential debates or high school forensics.

Example: "The general debate on the new city budget was civil and informative. The mayor presented her proposal, the council outlined counter-proposals, and they argued over line items and priorities within the agreed-upon framework of civic improvement and fiscal responsibility."

by AbzuInExile January 31, 2026

Special Debate

A highly specialized, often technical debate conducted within a specific professional, academic, or subcultural community, using its own unique standards, terminology, and forms of evidence. To outsiders, it sounds like esoteric bickering.

Example: "The special debate in the theoretical physics seminar was over the holographic principle's implications for a specific black hole entropy calculation. To the room, it was a gripping, high-stakes intellectual duel. To the janitor mopping outside, it sounded like two wizards arguing in Elvish."

by AbzuInExile January 31, 2026

Debate Blind Spot

The failure to realize when you are no longer engaging in a good-faith debate to explore an issue, but are instead performing for an audience, protecting your status, or simply trying to exhaust your opponent. You believe you're having a noble battle of ideas, but you're blind to your own tactics of derailing, goalpost-moving, and rhetorical point-scoring that have destroyed any chance of mutual understanding.

Example: "The online thread was a cesspool because of debate blind spot. Both sides thought they were valiantly debating science. In reality, they were just dumping pre-written talking points, hunting for 'owns,' and playing to their respective follower bases. The blind spot was their shared belief this was a debate, when it was really two separate, angry monologues being broadcast at each other."

by AbzuInExile January 31, 2026