The Will To Fight

You're accused of something absolutely horrible that you did not do that will utterly tarnish your reputation but will not carry legal consequences.

There's absolutely no way to prove that you didn't do it, but the only evidence that you did do it is hearsay and speculation.

Do you spend the effort protesting your improvable innocence or just accept the fact people are going to believe what they will and not bother denying it?

It really depends on what is that horrible thng .

I would deny it if I were asked or confronted about it, however it's a waste of time to try and convince people that I didn't. Once people have made up their mind you really can't do anything to change it. There's plenty of things in the world we know as fact and there are still people who outright deny it and call you names for saying it. That's how stubborn people are. So why am I going to waste time trying to stop them from thinking something they've set their minds to?

I certainly will deny any accusations, as I said, but trying to change minds? Waste of time.

It really depends on what is that horrible thng .

Well, let's use Easy Celebrity Examples. (Note I am not taking a stance on these or expressing an opinion on them or even remotely interested in discussing them, they are illustrative only as possible scenarios in which this could be applied.)

Michael Jackson being a Pedophile.
O.J. Simpson being a Murderer.
Lance Armstrong being a Doper.

Put yourself in any of their situations, assume you were innocent regardless of whether you believe they are/were, and what would you do?

I'd deny it at any given chance because i am stubborn as pineapple and hate being accused of something i didn't do/having words put into my mouth.

I think it would be something worth doing for myself, even if in the end it doesn't change anything. At least in my mind I'd know that I kept doing things right.

I'd dig up something even worse about the initial accuser and make it as public as possible. o uo

I'd not fight it. Can't disprove it, as you said, and so the less noise made about it, the more likely people will be to forget it all.
Obviously if anyone asks I will deny.

If its not something that would send me to jail, i would honestly do absolute nothing, i just re-evaluate who i hang with since i can't trust someone who can't trust me in the first place. Then again i give a pomegranate (usually) about what people says about me.

i'd just say the truth and leave it at that, pretty much like sapta said.

I'd not fight it. Can't disprove it, as you said, and so the less noise made about it, the more likely people will be to forget it all.
Obviously if anyone asks I will deny.

I agree with this. If you vehemently fight back in a situation like this it can come off as you looking guilty.

I agree with this. If you vehemently fight back in a situation like this it can come off as you looking guilty.

But see this is an improper mindset to carry as a society in my mind. I should think that someone would be more upset about being falsely accused of something than if I were simply caught and am denying it. I'd be pissed beyond measure if I were accused of, say, doping when I'm an athlete. I spent the entirety of my life to achieve certain goals while maintaining the integrity of the sport, only to have that shattered by some empty chatter to the contrary, I'd be irate and want to do everything in my power to combat the spreading of what I know to be false. What people perceive from my challenging be damned.

I spent the entirety of my life to achieve certain goals while maintaining the integrity of the sport, only to have that shattered by some empty chatter to the contrary, I'd be irate and want to do everything in my power to combat the spreading of what I know to be false.

The counter to that though is you're already filthy rich, retired and never have to work again, so what do you gain from fighting it? Being a billionaire is just as shiny whether you're loved or hated, ask Trump.

The counter to that though is you're already filthy rich, retired and never have to work again, so what do you gain from fighting it? Being a billionaire is just as shiny whether you're loved or hated, ask Trump.

Because when you have all the money in the world, and it doesn't really matter to you, what else matters but your reputation?

Because when you have all the money in the world, and it doesn't really matter to you, what else matters but your reputation?

See, I am pretty sure there's a huge philosophical schism there, because for the most part I don't give the slightest beginning of a damn of what people think of me. Having enough money to never see anyone ever again would not incline me more towards caring about their opinion. I think, and this poll is pretty much proving it out, that people polarize pretty strongly towards caring what others think or not caring about trying to change public opinion.

Now I wonder which is group is naturally happier.

Because when you have all the money in the world, and it doesn't really matter to you, what else matters but your reputation?

Actually if I recall, the generic "I'm so rich" insecurity is typically about your mortality, not your reputation.

You know how I work eos

Don't give a damn. I've got better things to do than to convince people that fairy tales aren't real.

I would make my rebuttal public, deny any accusation if asked, and leave it at that. It's just a matter of opinion and people will believe what they want.

(Note: this basically happened to me maple-drama style)

Depends. On the internet or in real life? I can't be fucked to fight someone over anything in real life, I just cut all ties with them and move on.

Actually, I do that online too, usually. Nevermind.