This is for your own personal discernment.
I believe that when a strawman is built of someone, it can be similar to that of a caricature of someone’s character. Reality or nuance is not required. Both the strawman and the caricature involve distorting certain aspects to create a skewed, exaggerated version that bears little resemblance to the original.
Just as a caricature emphasizes and distorts physical features to evoke a comical or critical image, a strawman exaggerates certain behaviors, motives, or traits to misrepresent someone's true nature and intentions, often leading others to see them through a false and heavily biased lens.
Whether someone is spreading a rumor, twisting the facts to have them fit, or doubling down on complete nonsense, the goal is to rewrite the narrative of a person by having one already repeated until it sticks as truth, not that it actually needs to be truth.
Couple this together with misquoting someone, rallying a crew of equally misguided “allies” or creating an echo chamber of misinformation, and the distortion becomes even more powerful and harder to refute.
As the caricatured version of a person is spread through repetition and social influence, it becomes ingrained in people's perceptions and eventually it overshadows the real, nuanced individual and traps them in a false narrative.
The goal is clear: keep the story so ridiculous no one’s brave enough to question it while maintaining it and weaponizing it in a deliberate, systematic way. Hell, retell it a few more times with new characters and embellishments along the way! And when someone does finally speak up, just label them as part of the problem or create a straw man of them too, everybody fears a blood thirsty demon that will eat their soul!
Here are the steps to building a successful strawman for a long term goal of ensuring the successful character assassination of a victim of narcissistic abuse. I have the steps in greater detail below, I just thought to show it in more digestible parts first because one small step at a time, we can't possibly take in too much information to think for ourselves, obviously!
And if you disagree with me you're actually agreeing with me with the extra step of adding "dis" to the beginning of your word Oh why is that? Well, the Latin meaning of the word "dis" is apart, so you are obviously just a part of a greater whole of people who don't fully understand the profound wisdom I'm imparting right now.
So really, by disagreeing with me, you’re simply confirming my point and making me look even more right. It’s almost like you’re disagreeing with me in the most agreeable way possible. You can’t escape it, your disagreement is just a reflection of how aligned we actually are in our shared existence. It’s really quite beautiful when you think about it. The universe is always expanding man, eating us alive until we are indiscriminately one.
So come on now, I've got attention to get off of the truth, so can you just focus on what I am trying to show you? This is for your best interest. Lucky for you, I wrote you this guide you never asked for.
Do you wanna build a strawman? Or just spread rumors far and wide? Unlike Elsa's powers, however, you're using manipulation to keep it from melting away!
Step One: Start with Small Misrepresentations
Just a feeling, but something about them seems off. Could be nothing tho.
Act concerned, wear the halo, hide the passive aggression .
Why be honest when you can start with a teensy, tiny lie? Just a little sprinkle of suspicion, like casually mentioning someone "might have said something," and watch everyone’s imagination run wild.
It’s not an accusation, it’s more of a "hypothetical" suggestion. If they were to, say, you know, rob a bank, would anyone really be shocked? Just sayinnn....
Trust your gut. That feeling in your stomach that tells you someone might be a little “off”? Oh, that’s pure gold. It’s probably nothing, but better safe than sorry, right?
Throw around some half quotes. Just misquote them. It’s so much fun. Take something they said and make it sound completely unhinged. They’ll never know what hit them.
Did they make a typo? Blow it up into a character flaw. They didn’t answer an email in three minutes? Well, that’s the kind of person who would totally steal your lunch. Just weave it into conversation like it’s no big deal.
Step 1 In A Nutshell:
Start small with minor distortions or vague insinuations, like claiming someone "might have said something" instead of directly quoting them.
Misquote or distort their words in a way that makes them seem unreasonable or crazy.
Amplify minor flaws to make them seem like major character flaws.
Pick on small, irrelevant imperfections to make them appear less competent or trustworthy.
Slip your misrepresentations into casual conversations, ensuring they don’t raise too many eyebrows.
Step Two: Amplify the Distortions
Yeah, that’s totally the kind of person who would do it again and again.
Create stories out of thin air, invent a pattern no one can prove, sell it with a straight face.
Who cares if they messed up just once? Let’s make it their new personality trait. They’re obviously incapable of doing anything right, forever.
Do they blow off an F bomb? Well, clearly they can’t be trusted with anything important ever again. Forget about everything else they’ve done. This is their legacy now.
Didn’t respond to a text? You can already see them abandoning you in your time of need. That’s the kind of person they are. It’s practically destiny.
The "one time screw up" has now become a certified disaster. Every minor mistake is a harbinger of the apocalypse. Why stop at a mistake when you can turn it into a full fledged crisis?
Just keep repeating the same line over and over. Eventually, people will think it’s true. Who needs facts when repetition works like magic?
Step 2 In A Nutshell:
Exaggerate isolated incidents into ongoing patterns of behavior.
Blow up minor slip ups, making them seem like life altering disasters.
Add fabricated details to your story to make it seem like a factual account.
Keep repeating the same misrepresentation until it starts to stick, leaving people thinking it’s the truth.
Get others on board with your narrative, even if they don’t know the full story, make it seem like an undeniable truth.
Step Three: Isolate Their Target
I’ve been watching them for a while. Trust me, they’re not as innocent as they seem.
Make everyone paranoid, turn their friends into frenemies, gossip like a high schooler.
Keep a close eye on them. You’ll start seeing how "not innocent" they are. A little innocent eavesdropping goes a long way when you need to destroy a reputation.
Did you see how they reacted when someone complimented them? Classic overreaction. They’ve totally got issues. No way they’re as sweet as they seem.
Watch out, everyone. This person is a master manipulator. Their ability to turn anything and everything in their favor is uncanny. Total puppet master vibes.
Don’t let their friends defend them. Start questioning their loyalty. "Oh, you’re still hanging out with them? Bold choice."
Spread rumors like they’re going out of style. "I heard they once said the word 'moist' in public, so..." Boom. Instant suspicion.
Step 3 In A Nutshell:
Subtly question the loyalty or judgment of anyone who defends them.
Make it hard for them to connect with others, either through gossip or by making them seem like a liability.
Plant small, unprovable rumors to make others wary of them.
Turn others against them by making their behavior seem like a burden.
Create a reputation that isolates them from the group.
Step Four: Leverage Authority or Influence
You are the only one who knows the truth of what is really going on, only you! You’re the oracle of truth, use fancy words to make nonsense sound smart!
You’ve been around long enough to know what’s really going on. You have all the insider knowledge. Forget about what they say. They’re just lying to you, trust me.
You’re basically the only one with the real truth. No need for them to have their say. You’re the expert here, and your opinion is the only one that matters.
Have a little chat with people in power. Frame it like a "neutral" conversation while subtly pushing your narrative. Nothing says credibility like an indirect hint.
Refer to the rules. The policies. You know, the ones that only seem to apply when they do something wrong. Perfect for making them look like a little rebel without actually breaking any rules yourself.
Point out that they’re so different from everyone else. Clearly, that’s why they’re the problem. Who needs someone who doesn’t blend in? You have to be one of the herd.
Step 4 In A Nutshell:
Frame yourself as the expert, so when you speak, people listen.
Control who gets to hear your side of the story and keep your target out of the loop.
Pretend to be impartial, all while subtly pushing your narrative.
Cite company policies or group rules to make their behavior seem like a violation.
Use their quirks, habits, or background against them to make them stand out in a negative light.
Step Five: Gain Momentum Through Repetition
I’ve heard it from too many people. It’s not just a rumor anymore, it’s the truth.
Repeat the lies until even you believe them & recruit a hype squad of gullible idiots
The more you say it, the more people will start to believe it. Just keep repeating it over and over. Everyone loves a good rumor that’s been retold a hundred times.
Create fictional "examples" of them failing. "Remember that time they... well, never mind, but it happened. Trust me bro." It’s all about consistency.
You don’t need to provide facts; just share the story enough times, and everyone will assume it’s true. Casual conversations are your playground.
Let everyone think that everyone else believes your story. Who’s going to question the group consensus? Surely, all those people can’t be wrong.
Make everyone feel like a social outcast if they dare to disagree with your narrative. It’s a great way to force conformity. Just guilt trip them into submission.
Step 5 In A Nutshell:
Keep saying the same things over and over until people believe it’s true.
Make up examples or stories to bolster your claims, even if they’re complete fabrications.
Make sure your version of events is shared far and wide, even in casual, unimportant conversations.
Pretend everyone else believes the same thing, creating social pressure to conform.
Make others believe that your version of reality is the accepted truth, discouraging independent thought.
Step Six: Create a Self Fulfilling Perception
Every time they try to explain themselves, it just proves your point more.
Label them forever, ignore anything good they do, and push them to the edge and pretend you’re the victim!
Who needs them to explain themselves? Every time they open their mouth, it just proves you’re right. They’re digging themselves into a deeper hole. Keep watching.
Sure, they’ve done some good things. But really, who cares about that? It’s all about the mistake they made that one time. That’s their true character.
Put them in situations where they can’t succeed. Then, when they fail, point and laugh. It’s not their fault, it’s yours for giving them too much responsibility.
Anything they do can be fucking contorted. If they take a break, it’s proof they’re lazy. If they work hard, it’s proof they’re trying too hard. There’s no winning for them.
Any attempt they make to clear their name is just a sign of desperation. That’s right. Their best efforts just show how weak they really are.
Step 6 In A Nutshell:
Ensure they’re left out of situations where they could demonstrate their value or abilities.
Amplify their mistakes while downplaying their positive contributions.
Set them up to fail by putting them in difficult situations and then pointing to their failures as proof of your narrative.
Frame every little thing they do as evidence of their flaws.
Paint any attempt they make to explain themselves as a weak, futile effort.
Step Seven: Suppress Any Opposition (Like A Dictator)
Anyone defending them? Clearly, they’re part of the problem too
Roll your eyes at the truth, play the martyr card, laugh off their receipts.
Don’t even listen to their evidence. It’s clearly fake. You’re smarter than that. They probably made it up. Just trust me.
Anyone defending them? They must be in on it. Get them to back off with some good old fashioned public shaming.
Limit their response time. Cut them off. The less they can speak, the better. Keep the focus on your side. After all, you’ve got the "real" truth.
Discredit their evidence before they even get a chance to present it. Cast doubt on their proof right from the start. It’s all about control.
If someone dares to support them, just call them biased. Dismiss them as untrustworthy. People are so easily swayed by that sort of thing.
Step 7 In A Nutshell:
Frame any attempt to correct your lies as a sign that they’re out of control.
Get others to back you up, creating a unified front to shut down any opposition.
Limit their ability to respond by cutting off communication channels.
Cast doubt on their proof or sources before they even have a chance to defend themselves.
Marginalize anyone who tries to stand up for them as biased or unreliable.
Step Eight: Maintain Control of the Narrative
It’s obvious. Everyone sees it the same way, and if they don’t, they’re just in denial or evil.
Play the long game, sabotage any redemption arc, stay petty till the bitter end!
Make sure you’re always ahead of the game. If they try to change things, just adjust the story again. You’re a master storyteller. They’re playing catch-up.
Discredit any voice that dares question you. What are they going to do, point out the obvious? Nope, we’re not having that.
Get people in power on your side. The more authority figures who back you, the less anyone can argue with your version of events. Use them as your puppets.
Make it seem like anyone who disagrees with the narrative is a fool. Social pressure is a beautiful thing. If you’ve got the majority, you’ve got the power.
Keep your grip tight on the story. If anyone even thinks about challenging it, shut them down. Your reality is the only one that matters.
Step 8 In A Nutshell:
Adjust your narrative as you go, to make sure it always serves your long term goal.
Discredit any dissenting voices and make it hard for them to share their side.
Involve people in positions of power to help back up your version of events.
Make others feel that going against the narrative is too risky or unpopular.
Use social pressure to discourage people from questioning the narrative you’ve built.
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