Hey Harlan,

There is a website where anyone can anonymously write whatever they want about whomever they want, whether it is mean, nice, libelous, true - anything. There have been threads on my school's page ranging from claims that a sorority caused 9/11 to who is the biggest player on campus. Recently, someone wrote something about me (not a nice thing). A lot of people have backed me up and defended me, which makes me feel good. My friends have told me not to worry about it because whoever wrote it has low self-esteem, which probably is very true. It also might be because I am involved in a campus election that takes place in about a week, and my opponents may be trying to get to me. Yet it still doesn't change the fact that someone took the time out of his or her day to write something hateful toward me. I know that by obsessing over it, I am only doing what he or she wants me to do. I've been pretty down this past week. How people this late in life still can be so blatantly mean is beyond me, and makes me extremely pessimistic about people in general. What is your take on this whole situation? Any advice?

Slandered

 

Dear Slandered,

The more energy you give this, the more you'll fuel it. Ignore it, and it will die of starvation. Give this person permission to be immature, insecure and stupid. The more time you spend participating and getting other people to defend you, the more you'll continue to feed this - ignore it. Don't visit this site. Win by rising above it. That said - if there's any truth to what the person wrote, acknowledge it, and then work to change what you don't love and learn to love what you can't change. Bottom line: Someone's trying to tear you down, and that means you're a threat to him or her. Be proud and feel good about yourself.

 

 

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