Why such a large gap between the time it takes to build a REPUTATION and time it takes to destroy one?

Question

Is it deserved?

Answer 1

It takes a lot more effort climbing up a cliff than abseiling or rappelling down it. Why? It’s because any act of “climbing” requires a lot of your own energy resources to move your “mass” upwards. The larger a person’s mass is, the harder it gets to “climb”. But to come back down, there is an external element called “gravity” that speeds up the descending process. And the larger a person’s mass is, the faster he falls. (There’s a dynamics calculation for this, I but I shall not go there, no matter how much you love numbers, Mr. Sin)

Similarly in life, it takes one’s own entire efforts and resources to climb up that ladder to achieve whatever success one strives for. The more effort and time one puts into one’s endeavors, the more one’s worth is. But one must be careful not to take a misstep and slip; or one would find oneself in a very rapid “free fall”, especially when helped down by another form of “external element” called “human malice”, (instead of gravity). And because to fall from such great heights bearing such great worth, the faster he falls, and the crash that awaits at the bottom always proves to be substantial. Thus a reputation is destroyed.

Umm, did I make sense? I hope I did.

Deserving, on the other hand, depends on the perspective the fall is viewed from. From the one fallen, I am almost certain how he would feel about his own disgrace. But from the spectator’s vantage point, well, it depends on how much malice they have in them to think so or otherwise.

I hope I answered your very good question. You have a great week ahead, Mr. Sin.

Answer 2

Great question! I think I'm coming at it from a different perspective in that I think everyone has a good reputation (is a good person) until s/he opens her or his mouth. There really, in a personal context, isn't much of a gap. As for businesses, the case of Tylenol is a good one. After the scare of cyanide-filled capsules, the company took immediate action and admitted to errors. People respected the fact that the company did not try to hide the issue or to deflect the blame. It could easily have gone the other way, and they could have made a very stupid marketing decision, thereby losing their customers. So if a reputation is destroyed, it is usually the fault of the person/company whose reputation was at stake. Doing the right thing to rectify errors is the quickest way to maintain a reputation; avoiding the issue and finding blame elsewhere is the best way to destroy credibility. So I don't think there needs to be a gap--the twice cited Marion Jones could have just admitted to the issue when asked the first time, but she didn't, and now has a reputation in shreds. That didn't have to happen.

Answer 3

Its true, people do remember more bad than good.

I was also want to use this analogy:

It can take time to build something complicated and beautiful, such as the great pyramids in Giza. It only took seconds to destroy Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons.

A lot of things in this world are easier to destroy than create. Because to build and create you need to have more order and thought. There is more work put into it. To destroy, you only need chaos.

Answer 4

Human nature.

It is a devasting hurt when someone you trust betrays you. Human nature seems to be able to get over being angry in a short time, but hurt is something else. That's why trust and one's reputation is so important. Once lost it takes a very long time to regain - even then, it leaves a "gray" feeling in one's mind when dealing with that person again.

This is why businesses who enjoy a good reputation do so well. Speaking for myself, I always look for a product where the company has been in business for a long time and which supports its product.

Answer 5

People seem to be predominantly interested in "what have you done for me lately", so history is less important. Also, if the deed that destroys the reputation causes mistrust, then time must be taken to earn back that trust.

Answer 6

That is completely true.

I believe that destroying the reputation is part of the competition and the survival of the human race. When the tree is on the floor everyone put fire on it.

Answer 7

Ask Marion Jones

Answer 8

It's a matter of trust. As living organisms we do everything we can to survive. As humans we have the understanding of what it is like to fear something and to trust. Fear is instinctual, trust is built. Once trust is broken, it never comes back again in its pure form. Fear will always prevail even if it is at an unconscious level.

Answer 9

People tend to remember the negative more than the positive. If you do nine good things and one bad thing the bad thing will be remembered, the good things forgotten.
Ask any Mom how many good things she does for her family that goes unnoticed, yet if she forgets to wash the uniform she is toast.

Answer 10

Prime example : Marion Jones!