The False Dilemma
Two options offered where more exist — the excluded middle.
A false dilemma frames a question as “either A or B” when C, D, and “some of both” are on the table. It’s persuasive because it feels like a forced choice, and it hides the options that would complicate the pitch. Whenever you’re handed exactly two doors, ask what got left off the list — the excluded third is usually where the honest answer lives.
Where it applies
Skills this lens bears on — open any to see the lesson.