The Thing called Reputation

"If you don't think of your reputation, you can do whatever you want." - Chinese Proverb

Everyone has a reputation, I believe. It just depends on what kind. Reputation initially earns us respect, good nature and comfort. It ultimately makes or breaks our lives. That is why people exert all efforts to guard it, maintain it and some revive it. The wonderful years it takes to build a strong reputation, just takes a second and a foolish act to break.

Money, resources, visuals, beauty, words, intelligence, clan, relations, they will all eventually fall short if the reputation is tainted. The power of positive attributes may be regained slowly, but it requires effort, overseeing and timing.

It's also different if this reputation is tainted by something unverified. A strong reputation can at some point rescue itself. But if the person is caught, especially not only by one witness, then consider the reputation to be destroyed.

However there are those who are willing to adjust and blind themselves from the tainted truth. These are friends and families who are willing to accept whatever damage the reputation imposes. That is why they are created in the first place, but remember that they too have limits before they only submit to the facade of the person's once pristine past.

Even though others are put to the wire, in the midst of all powerful bliss and emotion or are forced to face unfortunate circumstances, they don't give in. It just depends on how they value it. They may sacrifice all efforts and strength required from them as humans, but they will never surrender their reputation. It is like a rope that ties sanity and faith together. It is a currency that never fades.

Some have slipped and lost their reputation to temporary bliss. In the end, they hurt themselves and they also hurt others. It doesn't matter what poem and lyric they say, they could never erase the damages. It would go down in history that they, for quite some time, didn't seem to care. After the aftermath, even if they care to repair it, it only takes time. Especially that reputation's demise travel to many ears and tongues. For some of us, to realize its greater power, one has to go to the extent of losing it and it's never going to be a pretty picture.