I was having a discussion with a very good friend of mine about a person that was going out of their way to talk poorly about him. He was interested in how I would handle a situation like that. Unfortunately, I have been in that very spot a few times, I am pretty sure we all have. It can be something as simple as a random person making a few bad comments, or as complex as a former friend, client, business partner etc… trying to ruin your reputation.
In either case, I firmly believe that the best course of action is to simply smile and ignore them. Let them bury themselves looking like a fool.
If someone goes out of their way to try to tear you down or makes some outlandish scene in public attempting to deface you, responding in the same or similar tone only makes you look foolish and lends to their case. On the other hand, if they are making a scene or talking negatively and as a counter you are not, you maintain your cool, you are respectful… dare I even say kind, their words and actions will backfire. They will start to look foolish and people will begin to see the real issue.
The beautiful part about simply taking the high road is that over time, you build a reputation for taking the high road. And in the event that someone tries to pull you down the low road, your reputation holds the line.
At the end of the day, we only have a finite amount of time, energy, and things we can care about. Don’t waste it on people that try to tear you down.
Stick to the high road… it’s not always easy, but it pays off in the end.
Be good, train hard, stay safe
-aaron
Aaron Jannetti 