readersdigest.co.in 127The Genius SectionDon’t obsess over a misfire
The high you get from spearing your
opponent with a verbal thrust can be
shadowed by its opposite: The low
that comes from blurting out a lame
response. If it doesn’t go your way,
the rapper iLLspokinn advises brush-
ing off your missed opportunity rather
than dwelling on your error: “It can be
toxic to hold on to it,” he says.
Delays can be fatal
When you are conversing via text or
social media, you get a few extra min-
utes to think through your responses.
That could improve the quality of your
zinger, but don’t deliberate for too
long. Replies lose their punch after
a day or so. “Speed is integral to wit,
whether in real life or screen life,” says
Scott Talan, a social media expert at
American University.
In fact, some companies have learnt
to deploy quick-witted social-media
retorts as a marketing strategy. [Fast-
food chain] Wendy’s’ Twitter account
has become so well known for its
sassy replies that some users try to
intentionally provoke it, almost like a
battle of the wits. “Bet you won’t fol-
low me @Wendys,” a user challenged.
“You won that bet,” Wendy’s immedi-
ately shot back.
George Costanza also learnt that
he who hesitates often loses in the
comeback game. He meets his shrimp
nemesis again at a business meeting
and takes the opportunity to use his
old “the jerk store called and they’re
running out of you” line. Too late! The
guy already has a comeback for the
comeback: “What’s the difference?”
he asks with a smile. “You’re their
all-time bestseller.”MENTALFLOSS.COM (16 july 2018), copyright © 2018
by talib visram.The Only Constant
You can’t crush ideas by suppressing them. You can only
crush them by ignoring them. By refusing to think,
refusing to change.
ursula k. leguinChange is the law of life. And those who look only to the past
or the present are certain to miss the future.
john f. kennedyYou never change things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new model that makes
the existing model obsolete.
r. buckminster fuller