The 48 Laws of Power · law 36 of 48
36. Disdain Things You Cannot Have — Ignoring Them is the Best Revenge
detachment
The principle
By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and credibility. The more attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; a small mistake is made worse and more visible when you try to fix it.
The application
Reaction is itself a kind of submission. The most powerful response to a small attack is often no response at all. Withholding attention is the single most underused move in all of public life.
The defensive tell — how to spot it being run on you
When a critic gets unusually aggressive in your direction, the temptation is to answer once "to set the record straight." Almost always, you should not. Your response is the oxygen they need. Starve it.