Linguistic

Whataboutism

What it is

Deflecting criticism by pointing to someone else's wrongdoing instead of addressing the original issue.

How it works

When confronted with a valid criticism, the person responds by asking "what about X?" — redirecting attention to a different issue or a perceived hypocrisy. This avoids engaging with the original point while creating the impression that the criticism is unfair or selective.

Real-world examples

  • •A company responding to pollution criticism by saying "What about our competitors who are worse?"
  • •Political debates where each side deflects by pointing to the other's scandals.
  • •An employee confronted about missed deadlines responding with "What about all the times I stayed late?"

Ethical guidelines

  • ●Address criticism directly before raising other issues.
  • ●Acknowledge valid points even when they are inconvenient.
  • ●If raising parallel issues, make clear you are not using them to dodge the original concern.

How to defend against it

  • ►Redirect the conversation: "That may be worth discussing too, but let's address the current issue first."
  • ►Recognize whataboutism as a deflection tactic, not a counterargument.
  • ►Insist on addressing one issue at a time.

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