Have you ever been accused of kissing up to anyone, even though you were not kissing up to anyone at all?

I have. As someone who only ever gives genuine compliments, I really hate this. I feel the need to defend myself at times and wish I didn’t. I know it says more about the accuser than it says about me, but I hate being accused of things about me that aren’t true. How can I deal with the desire to defend myself so that I can keep my cool more often?