if someone is confusing or upsetting you, assume they have no sane reason for doing or saying what they are doing or saying

when ambiguous, assume intent is malicious, ignorant, or amoral. interpret others' actions in the context of your fears

do not challenge or acknowledge the existence or influence of your assumptions, wholly trust your intuition and feelings

pivot conversations when someone challenges your assumptions or cites reasoning outside your wheelhouse. avoid displaying a lack of knowledge in any domain – this is seen as weakness

if you must ask questions, imply the correctness of your originally held position by wording your question suggestively

dig in your heels when confronted with overwhelming dissent

exploit your immediate network; when the obvious merits of your narrative are exhausted, present like-minded people with tastefully curated details of your interactions with detractors, to provide a more appropriate account that your supporters can rally around to crush any lingering…