Dark Rhetoric Series – The Game of Definitions: When Meaning Becomes a Maze

When reason fails to persuade, some retreat into semantics. This episode explores the game of definitions — a rhetorical tactic that twists clarity into confusion. By constantly redefining words, manipulators trap conversations in endless loops, transforming truth-seeking into a contest of control.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• The game of definitions transforms dialogue into a labyrinth designed to exhaust and confuse.
• Semantics can become a shield against accountability when clarity threatens control.
• True understanding requires shared meaning, not linguistic victory.

💬 Featured Quotes

• 0:00:17 — “One of the more exhausting and complex techniques in dark rhetoric is the game of definitions.”
• 0:00:38 — “It’s not meant to move the conversation forward, but to control it completely.”
• 0:00:50 — “You’ll hear people say things like, ‘Well, it depends on what you mean by X.’”
• 0:01:05 — “Endless redefining becomes a form of power — a way to make understanding impossible.”

🔗 Explore Related Episodes

• Dark Rhetoric Series – Baiting: How Provocation Becomes Power
  Examines how emotional manipulation turns reaction into control.
• Dark Rhetoric Series – Ad Hominem: How Ego Replaces Evidence
  Explores how personal attack replaces honest argument and evades accountability.
• Dark Rhetoric Series – Gatekeeping: How Power Hides Behind Standards
  Reveals how self-appointed arbiters define who belongs and who doesn’t.

Dynamic Inserts

Creators & Guests

• Brian Mattocks - Host

Click here to view the episode transcript.