Vague They

Making sweeping generalizations about an undefined "they" without clarifying who this group actually is.

"The funny thing is they all say one thing but do another."

"They never want to hear opposing viewpoints."

"They're always moving the goalposts."

"They claim to care about X but they ignore Y."

Why It's Unproductive

Obscures the actual target of criticism, making it impossible to evaluate the claim or respond meaningfully. It's tempting because vague enemies feel like shared understanding, but it turns discussion into shadow-boxing with undefined groups. Often inflates fringe positions into representative beliefs or attacks scarecrows that don't exist in meaningful numbers.

The Better Move

"A lot of commenters in that thread said..."

"The official statement from [specific organization] claims..."

"Some people hold this view, though polling suggests it's around 15% of the group."

"The leaders of [specific movement] have argued..."

Why It's Better

Names the actual group being discussed, making claims verifiable. Allows others to assess whether the characterization is fair and keeps the conversation grounded in specifics rather than tribal signaling.

Example

OP: "I'm tired of how politicians ignore climate science."

Antipattern reply: "The funny thing is they all claim to follow the science but then they do nothing about it."

Better: "Many legislators say they accept climate science, but voting records show only about 40% have supported concrete emissions policies."