Good morning. With the Presidential election campaign going on in full swing, we see that everyday the candidates are accusing each other of something. Then they go on the offensive and make the campaign personal. But that is not the right way to disarm your critics. If they accuse you of something, try to deflect it by saying that you respect that person and that perhaps you can look into it. This way you take emotion out of the equation and at the same time take the high ground. It also prevents further questions into the accusation. I remember the movie Clear and Present Danger. In it a very close friend of the US President is murdered by Colombian drug dealers. Apparently, this person was embezzling money from the cartel. So the Presidents advisors tell him to downplay the situation by saying that they were really not good friends. But Jack Ryan, the character Harrison Ford plays, tells the President that if he downplays the situation, it will raise more questions. Instead he advises the President to acknowledge the friendship. This prevents any further inquiry from the press. I sometimes get very upset when people accuse me of something or when they criticize me. I used to respond by getting upset and making it personal. But I realized that it escalates the matter. So I am going to try to use this strategy.