# Does the fallacy "if they are wrong then the other side must be right" has a name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 29, 2019, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fallacy-if-they-are-wrong-then-the-other-side-must-be-right-has-a-name/828628 "2019-01-29T17:51:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fallacy-if-they-are-wrong-then-the-other-side-must-be-right-has-a-name/828628/1 "2019-01-29T17:51:28Z")
Is there a name for a fallacy where you think that if one side is wrong then you assume that the other side must be correct? There is a balance fallacy where you assume that both sides arguments have their merits, but it’s like the opposite of what I’m asking. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fallacy-if-they-are-wrong-then-the-other-side-must-be-right-has-a-name/828628/2 "2019-01-29T17:52:11Z")
Excluded middle fallacy? ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fallacy-if-they-are-wrong-then-the-other-side-must-be-right-has-a-name/828628/3 "2019-01-29T18:01:35Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Excluded middle fallacy? Yes, I think that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fallacy-if-they-are-wrong-then-the-other-side-must-be-right-has-a-name/828628/4 "2019-01-29T18:01:44Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Excluded middle fallacy? This. or false dichotomy, or false binary, or black-and-white thinking, or “You’re either with us, or against us” ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fallacy-if-they-are-wrong-then-the-other-side-must-be-right-has-a-name/828628/5 "2019-01-29T18:02:00Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Excluded middle fallacy? That’s what I was going to post. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fallacy-if-they-are-wrong-then-the-other-side-must-be-right-has-a-name/828628/6 "2019-01-29T18:09:52Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > This. or false dichotomy, or false binary, or black-and-white thinking, or “You’re either with us, or against us” Well, if it’s not the Excluded Middle Fallacy, it must be one of those, right? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fallacy-if-they-are-wrong-then-the-other-side-must-be-right-has-a-name/828628/7 "2019-01-29T18:13:08Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Well, if it’s not the Excluded Middle Fallacy, it must be one of those, right? It’s somewhere in that heap, sure 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fallacy-if-they-are-wrong-then-the-other-side-must-be-right-has-a-name/828628/8 "2019-01-29T20:00:25Z")
There’s also [zero-sum bias](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-sum_thinking). ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fallacy-if-they-are-wrong-then-the-other-side-must-be-right-has-a-name/828628/9 "2019-01-29T22:19:46Z")
Maybe even [splitting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splitting_(psychology)).