Times change. We have to be aware of those changes and what they mean for you.

If you have been watching what is happening in Washington, D.C. these days, you are observing a vast machine that destroys reputations. It is not political. It is just a machine, and machines have no political parties.

What should you conclude? I am not talking about the past. I am talking about the future.  The major conclusion to what is happening in Washington these days is the following:

If you are ever at a party—a nice, friendly drinking party—and you see that people are getting really drunk, leave that party. Always remember: You will never regret having left a drunken party early. You may very well regret, even with tears, having left a drunken party late.

Remember, it is not a question as to whether an accusation is true. It is not a question as to whether an accusation is probable. It is not a question as to whether an accusation is provable. It is only a question as to whether the accusation exists. Your whole career, your marriage to your wonderful spouse, the confidence of your children in your integrity, your future whatever-you-want-to-be, is at risk. The machine will operate in any case.

What is that machine?  It is the press. It is Facebook. It is Twitter. It is Instagram. It is the whole world of social media that can spread a report instantly across the world but which has little or no power to present a defense.

Learn the lesson from what is happening in Washington today. You will never regret having left a drunken party early. You may very well regret, even with tears, having left a drunken party late.