A week ago, a friend was dealing with an impossible situation involving a truly rotten person and asked me for some advice in terms of how to respond to her rotten words.
I offered two suggestions that work in almost every verbally combative situation wherein the opportunity to change someone’s mind or otherwise improve your standing in some way does not exist.
Those rock and a hard place, no-win scenarios.
When caught in one of these impossible situations, simply say to the rotten person:
“Oh. You’re one of those people.” Then just walk away. Your verbal combatant may shout something in response as you walk away, but just keep walking. Don’t respond. Don’t even look back.
This is the kind of statement that will likely reverberate in their mind long after you’re gone. And it works on almost everyone:
Rude store clerks, irate soccer moms, ignorant cousins, stupid neighbors, and angry strangers.
If you have some familiarity with the person and you want to be especially cruel, you can use this slight but devastating variation:
“Oh, I guess everybody was right about you.” Then walk away. Again, your verbal combatant may respond in some way, but just keep walking. Never look back.
I haven’t used either of these options very often, but when I have, the results have always been excellent. My opponent is either silent as I walk away or thrown into a fit, demanding to know what I meant.
Both of those responses are excellent.
My friend, Steve, has referred to me as a “mind terrorist.”
I thought it was an amusing description, but I was never really sure what he meant until I just proofread what I wrote.
Mind terrorist. I get it.
