Middle Ground
Assuming the truth must lie in a compromise between two opposing positions.
- informal
The middle ground fallacy (argument to moderation) treats the midpoint between two positions as automatically correct simply because it sits in the middle. But a moderate position can be just as wrong as an extreme one — sometimes one side is right, and splitting the difference only distorts the truth.
Examples
- “One engineer says the bridge is safe and a stranger online says it'll collapse tomorrow, so the truth is probably that it's somewhat risky.”
- “You claim the invoice is $1,000 and I say I owe nothing, so let's just settle on $500.”
Why it works & how to counter
Persuasive because compromise feels fair and reasonable. Counter it by asking whether the evidence actually supports the middle position, rather than assuming balance equals truth.