# 27. Rhetorical manipulation ## 27.5. Methodology/Refinements/Sub-species ### 27.5.3. Attacking Approach #### 27.5.3.9. Poisoning the well In debate, the tactic of pre-emptively using unseemly and usually personal information to discredit what an opponent has to say. Typically done as an ad hominem or personal attack, intended "to freeze, personalize, and polarise" a target. Example: "Everything I say is correct, no matter what you say". The well is poisoned and nothing a person says (be it true or false) will matter by the initiator's definition. ***Parent:** [[Attacking Approaches]]*