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JF's avatar

Agreed. It’s an ongoing conundrum that we face over and over in varying intensities. “Silence is complicity”, versus giving them the attention they crave by challenging them. I usually think of the perfect response the next day, after examining the situation every which way.

I admired the way an old friend responded to a racist joke years ago; “I don’t think it’s true, and I don’t think it’s funny”. Simple. Succinct. Unfortunately, I don’t think fast on my feet.

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CW Stanford's avatar

You need to read Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow. Thinking fast is a habit, but habits are all to often ingrained biases. Develop good thinking habits, slowly, and your quick responses may -- that's may -- be appropriate. In my experience, far too many people with quick retorts are full of nonsense.

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