Never Defend Yourself

When someone attacks you, the instinct is simple: defend yourself. Explain your intentions. Correct the narrative. Prove them wrong. But that reaction comes with a hidden cost. Every time you defend yourself, you give your critics exactly what they want your attention. And attention is fuel. The more you argue, the more the noise grows. Early in my career, I made this mistake constantly. Negative comments on social media triggered long responses. I tried to convince people who had already decided who I was. When criticism grew, I fought harder. I even tried using lawyers to shut down false…