Rumors sprint. The truth jogs. But the truth has a way longer battery life.

A rumor travels fast because it is simple, surprising and free of any obligation to be accurate. The truth moves slower because it carries details, qualifications and people who have to check it. Over weeks, though, the rumor needs constant retelling to survive, while the truth keeps getting confirmed by everything that happens next.

When something false is going around about you, resist the urge to chase every version of it. Correct it once, clearly, with the people who matter, then let your ordinary behavior do the rest. Being consistent for a month outlasts almost any story told in a week.