The straw man fallacy is a common argumentative tactic where someone misrepresents or oversimplifies another person's position to make it easier to attack. Instead of addressing the actual argument, the person creates a distorted version, which is easier to refute. This can lead to misunderstandings and derail productive discussions. For example, if person A advocates for environmental regulations to protect wildlife, person B might respond by claiming that person A wants to shut down all businesses. This misrepresentation distracts from the original argument and prevents a fair debate on the actual issue at hand.