How to safeguard your name
What you need to know:
- The ‘don’t care’ attitude that people sometimes have when there is some gossip doing the rounds is dangerous
- By remaining a silent victim, you are in fact saying that you are guilty
Sometimes, the little things we do or do not do are responsible for spoiling our names. Your precious name or reputation may be dragged through the gutter without you realising it because of petty things.
We all know, a good name is one of the greatest assets to possess. Indeed the Bible in Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches. Esteem is better than silver or gold.”
Companies pay millions to safeguard the names of their products. Any tiny rumour about a product being bad or defective is quickly nipped in the bud because they realise the power of a name. With a good name, you can rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Here are some practical tips on the measures you can take if your name is under threat, or if you suspect that your reputation has been smeared.
The ‘don’t care’ attitude that people sometimes have when there is some gossip doing the rounds is dangerous. There is some gossip you can afford to ignore and shrug off. This is of a non-specific nature such as, “She is very proud and does not talk to people,” or, “She is a hypocrite who pretends she is saved.” This sort of talk should not worry you because in most cases it cannot be verified unless you deliberately boasted, and declined to speak to certain people on specified occasions.
FIGHTING FOR YOUR REPUTATION
However, when your name is being ruined because of specific issues, for instance your past being brought up where it is totally irrelevant, you cannot afford to remain silent.
A typical situation that many women face is when they have an eligible suitor wishing to marry them. Somebody somewhere may start spreading rumours about your past relationships in a bid to hurt you. Act fast. Do not allow your relationship to be destroyed. Confront the person and ask them to stop or face dire consequences.
If people are lying about you, do not entertain them by ignoring it and hoping they will tire of it and stop. Remember the old saying: There is no worse venom than the tongue. Many would argue that it is best to leave the matter alone lest you provoke the liar even more and fuel the fire. But if you do that, by the time the issue disappears, your name will have done the rounds.
By remaining a silent victim, you are in fact saying that you are guilty. By denying the rumours, you put a lot of doubt in peoples’ minds. Some of the lies worth fighting and challenging include those to do with your integrity and health.
For example, where there are claims of theft and embezzlement – ask for proof; for claims of you getting cozy with the boss for promotion – ask them to prove the location, time, date and whether they were present. Many have been victims of rumours of being infected with deadly viruses. In such a situation, ask for a medical report. Every situation differs but one thing remains the same: your name should not be taken lightly.
There are other forms of gossip that may tarnish your name temporarily through rumours. For instance, if the auctioneers come to your house and carry your stuff away, people may spread stories about your insolvency. This is embarrassing but not disastrous because it can happen to the best of us. When faced with such a situation, do not comment.
