Why Character Assassination is Alluring to Critics and Attackers
Elon Musk, interestingly enough, seemed to learn and now knows
Rage is a powerful driver of aggressiveness and when people can’t get to their targets to physically harm them or they don’t like the idea and reality of arrests, court, jail and eventually, prison, they may decide that there is still a satisfying, easier way that they can “hit” and hurt their enemy.
Elon Musk has observed it and recently talked about his own experience. Musk is a polarizing public figure: while he is respected and loved by a certain segment of the population, he is hated by another part of society. He’s made enemies.
One label that has been attached to Musk is that he is a Nazi, which on the surface seems false and foolish when considering what actual Nazis have done. Musk knows that he isn’t them. People still call him one.
"... it’s an outrageous thing to claim that I’m a Nazi,” Musk has said.
He realizes though the nuclear power of an ugly claim once it gains traction.
“If you repeat a lie, you know, the sort of ‘he’s a Nazi’ lie enough times, some people actually believe it...”
This is where it gets interesting. Look at what he said next (see below) and set aside for a moment that Musk is talking about himself because this goes beyond him.
It can be the same for anyone who people come to hate, can’t get close to so they can physically hurt or kill them and yet, they obsessively want to inflict pain and suffering, without the risk of being arrested, tried, convicted and sent to prison.
“They really are trying every angle to get me… if they could press a button and kill me — in reality, they would press that button immediately,” Musk said. “But since … I’m a little difficult to kill, they are doing character assassination instead.”
Character assassination may not be physical violence yet it is social, reputational, emotional and psychological warfare. It can lead to extreme costs and loss. It can inspire trauma and suicide. Perpetrators of the attack know this, of course, which is why what they are doing is so rewarding.
Character assassination is a very attractive weapon for certain people to use and not many perpetrators of it are legally or socially punished, which makes it too easy to get away with carrying out. It’s not entirely risk free yet it isn’t often caught and addressed.
So how do you best respond? First, you have to beware that character assassination is a possibility as a threat, maybe even a likely possibility, depending on the circumstances and the potential people involved.
Think about a plan of action that will prevent, mitigate or end damages.
Learn who specifically is involved in the warfare, how to communicate with them and what you can legally and morally do, are legally and morally willing to do and where you draw the line to what you don’t want to do.
Understand what your ideal outcome is, a good one and one that you can live with if you can’t accomplish either of the first two. Know precisely what you don’t want to happen.
Devise a smart response strategy on your own, with your circle of trust or with professionals of your choosing (communications, legal or both) and patiently, thoroughly work thoroughly and completely through the process until you succeed.
Know what has to be communicated, how so, when, how long and to whom.
Learn how to best protect yourself and what will make the threat weak or end it. Determine if you have the staying power to succeed. If so, commit to navigating through the hostile time in your life to safe territory and traverse the danger with skill.
Michael Toebe is the specialist at Reputation Intelligence, helping individuals and organizations with matters of credibility, trust, decision analysis, communications, relationships and reputation.
You can DM him on Substack or contact him below for consulting, risk analysis, coaching, ongoing advisory, a variety of proactive and responsive communications and reputation (not legal) representation.
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