Quick-Wittedness: How To Learn To Answer With A Quick Wit

In our lives together, minor and major friction arises. Quick-wittedness can be an effective way to protect yourself and avert conflicts. We show you how to use it in everyday life. In case you do not know what to say try to direct the conversation to something in what you are good at. Like playing at the online casino in Canada.

Quick-wittedness is often admired and always brings with it a good degree of confidence. Spontaneous responses can skillfully play back a humorous remark, but can also weaken the power of inappropriate words from others.

Even if it often looks like it, quick-wittedness is not an innate gift. Certainly, some of us are naturally more spontaneous in dialog and find suitable answers more quickly. The good news for all those who are not necessarily among them: You can improve your repertoire with targeted exercises and regular training.

Why Is Quick-Wittedness Useful?

Quick-wittedness can help you protect yourself and boost your self-esteem. In everyday life, we are exposed to a wide variety of interpersonal situations. We are constantly interacting with other people. This can also lead to conflicts and verbal attacks.

These are not pleasant for anyone. But with quick-wittedness, you can confront them at eye level and defend yourself.

• In the end, countering correctly will ensure that you can better protect yourself from injury. The aim of repartee is to
• maintain or quickly restore their own sovereignty,
• to demonstrate authority,
• to protect oneself by defending oneself against verbal attacks,
• show and return humor in joking situations.

A good level of repartee can help you to communicate better and more satisfactorily. Quick-witted people know their vulnerability and can keep inappropriate attacks in check without becoming hurtful themselves. According to a ZEIT interview with rhetorician Petra Schächtele-Philipp, repartee strengthens self-confidence and self-esteem in the long term.

The Prerequisites For Learning Repartee

One important tool can help you to become quick-witted: a large vocabulary. This will give you the chance to find the right answer in spontaneous situations. Counterattacks often thrive on a game of language and wordplay.

Books are a helpful way to expand your vocabulary. But magazines or dialog-rich films can also train your language. However, the easiest and most direct way to train your vocabulary is still through lively dialog with other people.

It also helps if you become aware of your own body language. The interaction between body and mind is fundamental to learning quick-wittedness. We can automatically express inner strength, calmness and composure through our body. For example, through an upright posture, targeted movements and an alert gaze.

The great thing is that it also works the other way round. For example, if you adopt a confident, relaxed posture, you will automatically feel more confident and relaxed after a moment. You can take advantage of this in difficult situations: Control your posture and body language when you are with others. A confident demeanor often automatically gives you confidence and makes it easier for you to be quick-witted.

Four Exercises For More Repartee

The three exercises can help you become more quick-witted. Once you have created a basic awareness of words and body language, the following exercises can help you to train your repartee in a targeted manner.

1. Think Continuously

To increase your ability to react and make your vocabulary easier to recall, it’s worth thinking for yourself in everyday conversations between other people. Mentally put yourself in the shoes of the person you are talking to and think of quick-witted responses for yourself. Talk shows, political programs or interviews on TV or radio are particularly suitable for this exercise.

2. Play Through The Three-way Exercise

An effective exercise to actively train your repartee in advance is the three-part exercise: play through the exercises with someone you are good friends with. It must be someone you are not afraid of. Ask the person to verbally attack you with various made-up statements. Your task is now to respond in three different ways:

• factually
• with humor
• in an unsubtle way

If you repeat this game often, you will improve your ability to react. This will enable you to come up with suitable counter-attacks more quickly in real-life situations.

3. Ask Questions

If you are confronted with a statement or comment that attacks or judges you personally, asking questions is an effective way to respond. Reversing a comment or statement quickly takes the wind out of your counterpart’s sails.

You could respond to an inappropriate “but you’re not particularly sociable” with a simple question, such as “very interesting, what makes you think that?”. This shows composure and lets the other person know that you won’t let them attack you personally for no reason. It also puts the person on the spot, as they are unlikely to come up with a plausible answer.

4. Confirm

It is almost easier to confirm the other person’s statement.

Particularly inappropriate statements about you are mirrored in this way and the other person can quickly realize that his/her statement was incorrect. You can fend off a “what you’re saying is complete nonsense” with a humorous “exactly, that’s my specialty”. The person will realize that their statement was simply exaggerated.

If the other person hits the mark but still crosses the line with the comment, you can keep the upper hand and create sympathy by confirming it. “You’re just trying to sell me something” can be softened by saying ‘Correct, that’s my job’. Honesty often automatically generates sympathy and your counterpart will no longer be able to judge you.  

Maintain composure and a sense of humor

No matter how you are verbally attacked or cornered. Always try to remain calm and not take the attacks too personally. In many cases, the problem is not with you at all, but with your counterpart’s personal disagreements. Being aware of this again and again can already help a lot.

If possible, try to keep your sense of humor and tone down overly hysterical attacks. This will help to calm your own temper and that of the person you are talking to, as well as maintaining inner peace and calm.