THE DANGERS OF CHARACTER ASSASSINATION

I have observed with great disdain the dangers associated with Character Assassination.

These dangers could live a lifetime and linger till generations yet unborn. The effects and attributes of some of these dangers are better imagined than experienced.

I tell you, one decision you should never make as a professional, is to allow yourself to be recruited by someone, who wants you to hate another person who has not wronged you.

A friend once said, “a friend of my enemy is my enemy”. One of the things that hinder us from living a fulfilled and inclusive life is bringing past bias and sentiments into present relationships. A friend to your enemy is not necessarily your enemy. It all depends on several other factors. Try and avoid hasty conclusions irrespective of what people say and be mindful of what you say. Because what people say about others speaks volume of themselves just like what you say about others speaks volume of your own self.

It is now true that CHARACTER ASSASSINATION is prevalent. It could be a very destructive phenomenon wherever it is found. The deliberate, malicious, unjustified, and sustained effort to damage the reputation and credibility of an individual or group of persons is the wickedness of the highest order. It could be the slandering of a person, destroying his/her public confidence which often leads to the act of lowering one’s character in a bid to ruin the characters of others. These acts are found in families, political arena, places of worship, organizations, workplaces, etc.

Interestingly, false allegations are the most chronic form of mental abuse you can ever think of. When people can’t kill your dreams and purpose, they will try to assassinate your personality, your character, and your integrity.

In some cases, your spirit will hurt the demons of others. Hence, when those that are hurt because of your spirit realize hating isn’t enough, they start propagating false accusations about you thereby killing your character. Sometimes, it is regarded as emotional violence against the other.

1. Refuse to Lack Social Intelligence: This is that intelligence that keeps you sane even when others are trying to pollute your mind about something or someone until you have made thorough confirmation of the authenticity of these accusations. Don’t write off people because of what others say about them. Do not draw up conclusions based on what others tell you about someone. Do not judge people from afar. Get close, make inquiries and verifications yourself before you believe. This is how Judges are trained in order to avoid bias judgment. Remember, you don’t judge a book by its cover.

2. Refuse to Inherit Enemies: Do not allow other peoples’ enemies to be your enemies.

In fact, avoid having enemies if you can. You can keep a distance from those you don’t like. It is lack of education and exposure that sometimes makes people make enemies. When you create enemies, you create unhappiness for yourself.

Life is too sweet and too short to be unhappy and you can only have a fulfilled life when you are free from having enemies.

3. Refuse to use your children as weapons of war: Allow your children to live life to the fullest on their own rather than making them stay away from some persons because you don’t like those people. You need to realize that, God can even use your enemies to bless your children. So don't use your children to fight those you don’t like. Do not use your parental influence to make your children hate others. You may often need to guard them with their choice of friends but never plant the seed of discord in the heart of your children against others.

4. Refuse to join forces with others to hate someone: Remember the law of KARMA in whatever you do. When you join forces with others to hate, despise or accuse someone wrongly, you are inviting the same to yourself. You may realize over time that the person being accused has not even committed an offense.

If you don’t see it with your own eyes, or hear it with your own ears to confirm it, then do not invent it with your small mind and share it with your mouth.

5. Refuse to be used as a weapon for other people’s battle: It is necessary not to take sides when issues arise especially when you do not have a full grip of the issue. It is not every battle that one needs to be involved. When people fight dirty, refuse to take sides. Observe and confirm clearly before deciding based on your own perception.

6. Refuse to hate people just because they are not like you: Sometimes hatred comes because of different tribes, religions, or geographical locations. If someone is not of your tribe doesn’t make him/her an enemy. It is wasteful to admire only those you like. One great reason for education is in how we respond to people whose opinions are different from ours. When you always think that your opinions are superior to others,  you are only prone to overestimating their relevant knowledge and ignoring chances to learn more. It is important to note that, companies that have maximal growth are those that value diversity and inclusion. You can be the head of such a company.

7. Refuse to judge people until you confirm the whole story: Some people take decisions from a single story.

This is dangerous and could be very damaging. Hence, it's proper to always beware of the half-truths.

Also, please refuse to judge other people’s choices without understanding the reasons behind them.

If people say something bad about you or judge you as if they know you, do not get easily annoyed. People who are intimidated by you talk about you with hopes that others won’t find you so appealing. Remember this, dogs bark if they don’t know the person.

8. Refuse to Associate with Negative Minded Persons: It is advisable to stay away from people who gossip about others wrongly. Such people carry a negative tendency with them and could be contagious on you. The issue with such people is not that they are unhappy with others, but they are unhappy with themselves.

9. Refuse to talk bad about people behind them: Please stop any destructive habit of talking bad about people behind their back. This habit only showcases your personality rather than the person being talked about. When you have issues with people, try and discuss them with them. Someone once said, “Don’t talk about me until you have talked to me”. This is the best approach for the persons you wish to talk about.

10. Refuse to Carry Rumors: It is only haters that carry rumors. So, please do not carry rumors about it.

Stop creating walls of contention, rather help build bridges of understanding among people. That makes you a true professional

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