Page 2 of 2 [ 31 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

FletcherArrow
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

Joined: 20 Oct 2019
Age: 64
Gender: Male
Posts: 390
Location: usa

26 Mar 2020, 10:59 am

Jayo wrote:
WARNING: only use these if you have little to lose in the situation, i.e. you're not dependent on the other person for something, you just gave your two weeks notice, or, say, there are video cameras around and it's in a public place so there's minimal threat of assault...etc.

Yes, these may sound passive-aggressive and evoke the old expression "cutting one's nose of to spite one's face", but you have to admit...they are pretty funny and we can identify with all of them :P

1. After someone asks what is likely a rhetorical question, ask "Umm...is that rhetorical? I can't tell."

2. If someone asks if you're ignorant / not all there / have some sort of problem, respond: "no, I just have high standards for things making sense. I don't consider that to be a problem."

3. If you ask someone to clarify something and they still have a nuanced kind of reply to save face or comfort level or what have you, respond "I'm sorry, I don't 'speak Japanese'" (deliberately insert the "air quote" with fingers)

4. In a similar vein to the above, if you have a situation where someone finally "explodes" or lets out with the unvarnished meaning of some situation or why they were doing what they were, then respond with "OK, well we're not in Japan, why didn't you just say [insert direct no-BS meaning] when it was in your best interests to do so?"

5. When someone displays non-verbal signs of being disgruntled / upset / pissed and you've recently interacted with them, say "I noticed lately you seem upset, but...I'm not sure why."

6. If you're ever in a situation where someone reacts with a negative facial expression, study it in a bewildered way as if you're not sure why (do this with a 3rd person present), and when the 3rd person speaks up and says "he/she is reacting that way because [insert the unintended trigger on your part]", then respond with astonishment: "Oh! So THAT'S what that expression meant!! I was wondering what that meant, because I've gotten that reaction before and couldn't figure it out!!" [Again, only use this if you've already alienated those people in some way and you harbour negative feelings towards them ...they're sure to distance themselves from you as if you have the plague or you're a leper, as you'll be seen as irredeemably mentally ill.]

7. Go on random rants to the effect of "You know, the problem with society is that people don't know how to assert themselves - I don't know if it's part of their upbringing, but...most people seem really hesitant, for some weird reason, to clearly express what's bothering them when it's in their best interests to do so. Society would be a lot better off if people would learn more assertive communication." Some flippant individual might retort "no, society would be a lot better off without people like YOU", but you could always parry that with "that doesn't qualify as assertive communication, that's just plain hostile - any reasonable person would agree."

The corollary of all this is when you ask a separate party for advice on a conflict situation involving a perceived bully and the separate party says something dismissive like "well it takes two to tango" or "it's six of one, and half a dozen of the other" - what they seldom have insight into is that in your case, it's more unintentionally upsetting someone (i.e. lack of emotional intelligence), and in their case, it's intentionally upsetting you (i.e. lack of emotional maturity). Either way, nobody wins, no progress is made...which is where the above lines are strictly to be used in a "nothing left to lose" situation where you just wanna get some satisfaction :P


Brilliant! I like #5 the best......

Here, try this one when someone says something you just can't understand: "Oh! You are an NT! That's why you said that!"


Or, with an air of disgust say: "Hurumpf! Neurotypicals!"