Evidencepost Tee

The rhetorical equivalent of moving the goalposts, but specifically about evidence—demanding proof, then when proof is provided, declaring that proof invalid and demanding a different kind of proof, then when that's provided, moving to yet another standard. The evidencepost is that shifting standard of what counts as "real evidence," designed to be impossible to satisfy. It starts at "show me a peer-reviewed study," moves to "peer-reviewed studies are biased, show me raw data," then to "data can be manipulated, show me a real-world example," then to "anecdotes aren't evidence, show me a study." The evidencepost is always just out of reach, because the goal isn't to find truth—it's to never admit you're wrong.