Reputation resistance

When your reputation comes under attack, what can you do? You might be the target of misleading claims, lies, fabricated documents or social media campaigns. There are many reasons why others might want to defame and discredit you, including envy, personal grievances and family disputes. You might be a whistleblower, speaking out in the public interest about corruption or hazards to the public. You might be a prominent figure in a social movement, so others hope to hurt the movement by harming your reputation. Or rivals want to drive you out of the movement. There’s another possibility: it’s your fellow activists who are under attack, and you want to defend their reputations to help defend the group. Sometimes it’s better to just ignore attacks, hoping no one will take them seriously. But when the attacks are high profile, for example major media stories or denunciations by prominent figures, then it can feel imperative to do something. A common response is to use the legal system, to sue for defamation. However, even if you have a good case, this is seldom a good idea, since it is slow, procedural and costly, and it might not help your reputation. To counter false and derogatory claims, you can respond with a careful exposition of the facts. It is nearly always better to avoid an emotional response or to counter by defaming your attackers. The way you behave is often more important than exactly what you say. If you sound calm, rational and sensible, and even understanding of the other person’s position, you are more likely to be seen as worthy. The methods for defending reputations are an important part of social struggles, yet there is relatively little attention to reputation strategies within the larger field of campaigning strategies. You may not care what opponents say about you, but you should, because reputations matter enormously in struggles ranging from disputes between individuals to global campaigns.