Cliticanchoring

Cliticanchoring is a neologism that describes the act of deliberately misinterpreting or distorting a person's statements to make them appear more extreme or unreasonable than they actually are. This tactic is often employed in online discussions and debates to discredit an opponent's viewpoint without engaging with its substance. By "anchoring" the opponent's position to a caricatured or fringe version of their argument, the person engaging in cliticanchoring attempts to set a negative perception that influences how others view the original statement.

This technique can manifest in several ways. It might involve taking a single sentence out of context and presenting it as representative of the entirety of an argument. Alternatively, it can involve exaggerating the potential consequences or implications of a statement to create a sense of alarm or absurdity. The goal is to create a straw man argument – an easily defeatable misrepresentation of the opponent's position – rather than addressing the actual points being made. Cliticanchoring is a form of bad-faith argumentation that hinders productive discourse and can be used to unfairly characterize individuals and their ideas. It is often seen as a tactic to shut down debate by making the opposing view seem inherently flawed or dangerous.