“This doesn’t work. People see through it. It comes across as either dishonest or oblivious, and both make you look bad”
I wouldn’t be so quick to say that this doesn’t work. If you want people to stop attacking you, then it usually won’t work; but not admitting you have an agenda seems to be precisely what most conflict theorists would do in these circumstances because there often are bystanders who will accept this justification.
“This doesn’t work. People see through it. It comes across as either dishonest or oblivious, and both make you look bad”
I wouldn’t be so quick to say that this doesn’t work. If you want people to stop attacking you, then it usually won’t work; but not admitting you have an agenda seems to be precisely what most conflict theorists would do in these circumstances because there often are bystanders who will accept this justification.