Only the Tough Will Survive the Cancel Culture War

Cancel culture is real, and Wesley Donehue knows it intimately.

One small tweet threatened his business, his family, and the foundations he held dear.

But it never scared him, it made him mad, so he did something about it.

He wrote a book. “Under Fire: 13 Rules for Surviving Cancel Culture (And Other Crises)” was released yesterday July 12th, and it is a must-buy for anyone who wants to know how to fight back against the mob.

[BUY UNDER FIRE: 13 RULES for SURVIVING CANCEL CULTURE and OTHER CRISES HERE]

Wesley Donehue is a political consultant, digital marketer, podcast host of Under Fire, and someone who has helped corporations and politicians alike navigate crisis communication and issue advocacy. I was recently able to interview Wesley and got the sense that cancel culture was personal to him. Instead of tweeting about it, he did something about it.

Wesley revealed that nothing is ever enough for cancel culture aficionados, and forgiveness seems to be a thing of the past.

Even for a strong family man like Donehue, who runs multiple businesses, it affects his everyday life. He walks around in fear of even giving a compliment simply because it could be taken the wrong way. In the past, that was a mistake; today, it is a capital offense.

But Donehue says we are not doomed, and in his book he lays out the 13 rules for surviving cancel culture.

I recommend you get it and read it yourself, but Wesley offered to share two ways to fight back in the meantime.

[BUY UNDER FIRE: 13 RULES for SURVIVING CANCEL CULTURE and OTHER CRISES HERE]

I asked him what he thinks is most necessary to combat cancel culture, and he provided a simple answer. Mental toughness.

Mental weakness in our society has enabled cancel culture, Donahue says, and the best way to fight back is to be tough. Make sound decisions, be authentic, and don’t give in. Making sound decisions based on the data is Donehue’s most underrated rule. According to him, it is imperative to follow the numbers.

Ask yourself this: do people care, is it a big deal, and what do the numbers say?

I finally asked Donehue if you should ever apologize if someone attempts to cancel you.

Donahue says first to look at the numbers. If the math says you should, then it’s better to issue an apology. If you are truly sorry and you are authentic, just apologize. The authentic apology will always be interpreted the right way.

Remember, none of us are immune. It used to be only CEOs and public figures who could be canceled, but today everyone is one misstep away from being canceled.

There are many more lessons to be learned in Donehue’s book, “Under Fire: 13 Rules for Surviving Cancel Culture (And Other Crises),” so pick up a copy and protect yourself from the mob today!

[BUY UNDER FIRE: 13 RULES for SURVIVING CANCEL CULTURE and OTHER CRISES HERE]

AAN Staff