Self-Serving Logic

The craft of constructing logical-sounding arguments with the sole purpose of arriving at a conclusion that serves your interests, using logic not as a tool for discovery but as a weapon for justification. You start with the desired endpoint ("I am correct/I deserve this") and work backwards, selecting only the premises and logical rules that build a path to that end, discarding any that lead elsewhere.

Example: "His self-serving logic for taking the last slice of pizza: 'I paid more into the tip. The person who contributes more to the communal fund has earned a greater share of the communal resource. This is basic distributive justice. Also, I'm still growing.' He'd used a twisted form of contractual logic to justify his gluttony."

by AbzuInExile January 31, 2026