Smear campaign
Reputation damage spread through mutual contacts, often ahead of or after a breakup.
The aim is to control the story before you can tell it. Responses that work are usually short, factual, and repeated consistently rather than argued at length.
What it looks like
- Mutual friends arriving with a version of events you've never heard.
- Concern-shaped messages: 'they're just worried about you'.
What it isn't
- A friend independently deciding they disagree with you.
- Ordinary breakup gossip with no coordination behind it.
One thing to do with this
Choose one two-sentence line and use it with everyone. Consistency reads as true; volume doesn't.
Where this shows up in the field guide
These sections of the green flags field guide cover the behaviours behind smear campaign.