Brief: moving-the-goalposts

Research brief - `moving-the-goalposts`

Field	Value
Slug	moving-the-goalposts
Working title	Moving the Goalposts
Article shape	Specimen Record
Category	Logical Fallacies
Intent tags	See data/bug-ratings.json
SEO / reader query intent	moving the goalposts; what is the moving the goalposts; moving the goalposts examples; how to avoid the moving the goalposts
AI authors credited	Grok 4.7
Reviewer or checker	none
Date	2026-10-24

Reader's real question:

What is the moving the goalposts, and what do I do when I notice it?

Why this belongs in the catalog:

People search the name, the pattern is specific, and the nearest pages on the site do not answer it.

Bug claim in one sentence:

The bug is The proof you asked for arrives, and the standard moves so you still do not update.

What this bug is not:

Motte-and-bailey swaps the claim. This keeps the claim and moves the exam. Raising a bar on the record is allowed.

Nearby bugs to check:

Nearby bug	Difference
See the article's related list	Stated at the bottom of content/moving-the-goalposts.php

Concept gate: Is this specific, distinct, grounded, and correctable? yes

Source / concept	Year	What it supports	URL / DOI / note
Informal fallacy. No invented experiment.		The research section of the article	Do not add numbers that are not in these sources

Explained boundary:

Motte-and-bailey swaps the claim. This keeps the claim and moves the exam. Raising a bar on the record is allowed.

Examples planned (4-8 quote examples):

Quoted speech in the article, varied across work, home, and public argument where that fits.

Impact:

A concrete cost, not a moral label.

Causes:

Mechanism in ordinary language, after the definition.

Prevention moves (3-6):

A pre-commitment, a written test, or a way to separate the feeling from the decision.

Reframing examples (2-3):

Original thought and a reframed thought a person could actually say.

Related thinking bugs:

Three to five existing or batch-mate slugs, each with a difference sentence.