Playing the Victim Fallacy Definition Baseball T-Shirt

The Playing the Victim fallacy occurs when someone tries to deflect criticism by arguing the target of criticism is just being persecuted, without addressing the content of the accusation. By attributing negative traits to someone before they even have the chance to make their argument, the well poisoner primes the listener not to believe what they are about to hear. As it does not seek to address the actual argument at all, this reasoning is fallacious.