Reputations. A shallow depth of lies

      Why is it that even though we know about the existence of reputations, we still tend to believe any rumor that seems to start one? There is a very distinct form of power that lies in words. As much as mind control may just be a simple superpower in any average comic book, it seems to manifest itself in a realistic form. This form is known as manipulation.
      Manipulative people have the power to sway peoples opinions and thought processes just by twisting their words in just the right ways. It is almost taking away the free will of other individuals, which in turn can alter their whole belief system. This is usually the seed from which a reputation, especially a false one, seems to blossom. The more manipulative the creator of the lie, the more easily contagious that lie becomes. The reason that the rumor to start the reputation spreads like wild fire is because the creator not only tells a lie about another person, but actually makes others believe the lie.
      I have had many encounters with incredibly manipulative people, and still, for as many times as I have caught them in the act, I have seemed to fall right into one of their traps. I have watched friends, family, and even strangers, easily become victims of this complex manipulation scheme, and I have even been the puppet master in several of these instances. Its almost a political scandal, in the sense that whatever you say must always be monitored, because if you have one slip up when instilling a lie into someones beliefs, could cause them to see right through your shallow facade.
     Not only are rumors easily spread, but they are even found enjoyable for many people. With all the tabloids that we have available to the public, celebrity reputations are monitored and altered day and night, and just by the stroke of a single pen. The reason that a reputation is a "shallow depth of lies" is because as much as we might know that they exist, and know that they are actually completely false subjective ideas, we still as a human race seem to fall into this spiderweb of lies and deceiving facts.