I've been trying to come up with a good definition of bad faith. Here's the best I've come up with: a big half-truth about an adversary wrapped up in a lot of small self-serving lies.
Conversation
Replying to
The first part creates doubt among those who are primed to believe the worst about you. The second part claims the benefit of doubt for you. The part that can be challenged (small lies) has an impedance mismatch with the part that needs a response (big half-truth).
1
5
If you try to add context to the half truth to make it a full truth, it looks like concessionary damage control with a hostile audience. If you try to challenge the small lies wrapping, it looks like you've conceded the moral high ground and the half truth as a full truth.
1
5


