I Don't Know What This Means, But Felt It Need to Be Said

Of course, it is possible to reject a dichotomy while still accepting one of the choices offered within the dichotomy. One of the more classic examples of this tactic is presented by the Beastie Boys in their song Paul Revere. In the song, Ad-Rock represents himself as an outlaw in the desert who, while looking for a girl, runs into MCA in the guise of another outlaw. Through the course of events, MCA presents Ad-Rock with the dichotomous choice of either riding with him, or, alternately, being blown away. At first glance, it may appear that Ad-Rock accepts the dichotomy as proposed by MCA, but a further analysis reveals that Ad-Rock rejects the dichotomy, while still accepting one of the choices presented by MCA. Ad-Rock tells him:

I'll ride with you,
If you can get me to the border.

Although Ad-Rock has chosen to accompany MCA, he, obviously, rejects that his only other choice is being blown away, as he conditions acceptance of MCA's offer on MCA's ability to deliver Ad-Rock at an unspecified border. In doing this, Ad-Rock is suggesting a third, unnamed, alternative to MCA's dichotomous proposal.¹ That the third alternative goes unspoken and unexplored does not mean that it doesn't exist.

This example illustrates the need to look beyond the outcome to determine whether a someone truly accepted the premises of a dichotomous choice. If presented with a choice between 'A' and 'B,' it does not follow that the acceptance of 'A' means the acceptance of the choice.

¹It is possible to argue that Ad-Rock did not really suggesting a third-way alternative to MCA's dichotomy, as his next lines:

The sheriff's after me
For what I did to his daughter
I did it like this
I did it like that
I did it with a wiffleball bat would seem to suggest that Ad-Rock's only alternative to riding with MCA was death at the hands of the sheriff. But, I think that it is necessary to conclude that King Ad-Rock is jesting at his reason for needing to get to the border, as evidenced by his use of the clearly anachronistic reference to a "wiffleball bat." Wiffleball was not invented until 1953, clearly after the setting of this song. Again, granted, it is possible that Ad-Rock had possibly engaged in some sort of relations with the sheriff's daughter with a real baseball bat^*, I think that the use of the anachronism is meant to indicate to the listener that Ad-Rock is not really on the run from the sheriff and is rejecting MCA's dichotomy and accepting for his own, unspoken, third reason. This assertion is bolstered by the fact that Ad-Rock quickly thereafter names a place not six hour's ride away where he is confident that they will be able to find refreshment.

^*It is possible that Ad-Rock substitutes in "wiffleball bat" for a real bat because he and the sheriff's daughter had been engaged in the pastime known as the "Louiville Slugger," but was afraid that MCA would not approve of this deviant sexual practice and would be inclined to turn him over to the sheriff himself. However, given that the two outlaws quickly form a partnership with a heretofore unknown third outlaw and rob a saloon, it is unlike that Ad-Rock would suspect that MCA would turn him over to the sheriff.