How should you respond to a kafkatrap attempt?
Before I talk about your options, here are three things to keep in mind when deciding
on your next steps.
First, remember that kafkatrapping is an act of personal aggression.
You have a right to feel offended and angry when someone tries to kafkatrap you.
Calling someone’s character into question unprovoked, in order to manipulate them into
agreeing with you, is a nasty tactic.
Second, recognize that a kafkatrap is not an argument, so it cannot be met effectively
with argument.
It is a meta-argumentative move, meant to shift the field of play from logical analysis
of evidence and inferential links to the issue of the moral guilt or innocence of the target.
Since it’s not an argument, it cannot be refuted or shown invalid.
Third, keep in mind that the kafkatrap aims to exploit the victim’s insecurity or self-doubt
about his or her worthiness to be accepted as member of some community.
One way to prepare to resist such an attempt is to know and address your own insecurities
and have a clear and healthy sense of your own worth.
Now, with that out of the way, there are two things I think you should not do when responding
to a kafkatrap.
Do not defend yourself.
This concedes the kafkatrapper’s authority and confirms the shift in discourse from the
issue at hand to your moral or political character, your worthiness to belong to the larger civilized community.
Also, do not agree with the systematic conclusion about oppression.
Even if you believe that it is true, conceding as much in response to a kafkatrap confirms
the shift in discourse.
Rewarding kafkatrappers just incentivizes them, and good causes deserve better.
So, if someone tries to kafkatrap you, you have several options what to do next.
One is to name the kafkatrap for what it is, call attention to it as a diversionary tactic.
Say: “You are trying to change the subject, which is X.”
You can do this as prelude to returning the conversation to the evidence and argument
about the issue at hand, not your moral character or right to participate in the conversation.
This has a low likelihood of success though, as kafkatrappers are highly motivated ideologues
who have already shown their lack of principle by trying to kafkatrap you.
Calling them out may, however, lead some in the audience to recognize that the kafkatrap
is a bad faith maneuver in the argument.
It may be worth your while to alert them to that.
Another option is to ignore the kafkatrap entirely, as though it had never existed.
Or alternately, to deny it without elaboration.
When told your denial or skepticism or demand for evidence shows you are guilty of a social
sin, say “No it doesn’t,” and wait for the kafkatrapper’s response.
This may fluster someone who was expecting a defensive evasion.
Option three: Counterattack the moral character of the kafkatrapper.
Say “Who are you to attack me?
What are your qualifications to make this judgment?
Where is the evidence of your moral superiority?”
A note of caution: The counterattack must be pulled off with flawless self-confidence.
Any hint of self-doubt or uncertainty invites the kafkatrapper to redouble the attack.
Counterattack is a risky strategy.
Note that it threatens to shift the discourse again, from your moral character, to the moral
character of the kafkatrapper.
Things may get very personal.
At this point, it is unlikely you will introduce self-doubt into the kafkatrapper’s mind.
You might make your objective to win the audience’s sympathy.
One final option is to be intentionally rude and offensive.
Flip the table in response to the kafkatrap attempt.
Of course, this is something we learn never to do in arguing and giving reasons.
But what all four responses here have in common is they are not argumentative responses, but
responses to a personal attack.
Your instinct to follow the rules of argument in responding to a kafkatrap can lure you
into presenting arguments in defense of your own character, which plays right into the
kafkatrapper’s hands.
From a purely rational perspective, there are no good options when facing a kafkatrap.
Persuasion by argument is probably off the table for good in its aftermath.
Recognizing this is an important step in responding effectively.
So that’s my advice about what you might do if someone attempts to kafkatrap you.
I hope you found it helpful.
Thanks for watching today; goodbye.