Being quick-witted! But how is the best way to do it? And is it even necessary?

Wit is almost something miraculous for some people -

this is also aptly described by the following quotes: "Wit is any response that is so clever that the listener wishes he had given it" (Elbert G. Hubbard) or "Wit is something you think of 24 hours later" (Mark Twain). However, wit is learnable to a certain extent. Two prerequisites should at least be present situationally: spontaneity and the courage to be wrong. If you want or need to be witty, be sure to answer at least the following two questions before entering a conversation: 1. How much humor does my conversation partner understand? 2. Do I want to continue working well with him in the future? Because wit usually proves to be a tightrope walk, where a lot can happen from mutual laughter to (temporary) breakdown of the relationship with the other person. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce defines: "Wit: Retort in the form of a cautious insult." Last but not least, it also depends on which of the four ears defined by Friedeman Schulz von Thun your counterpart is currently listening to you with. How can you react wittily? Courage to be wrong and spontaneity have already been mentioned. Based on this, you can train and use certain techniques to become more witty. Three selected ones are: 1) Ask tactically clever and skillful, even sometimes clever (counter-)questions. The simplest of all follow-up questions is to pretend you didn't hear your counterpart clearly: "Pardon me?". Try it out and pay attention to the reactions of your conversation partners. 2) Exaggerate in your own words the point that your counterpart criticizes or tries to corner you on. To the "subtle" hint "As I have already told you..." counter with "You must think I'm too stupid to understand your words immediately. Am I right?". You will almost always experience a remarkable reaction. 3) Use - almost comedically - the multiple meanings that many words have. Respond to the common phrase in business settings "Do you still understand me, are you still following?" with "Where to?". Important: After your words, be sure to break eye contact with your counterpart, unless you have asked a (follow-up) question. Also useful for reacting wittily is having a large vocabulary. This opens up unexpected communication possibilities - in general and regarding "wit". Contrary to the mainstream belief that wit is always useful, let me ask the question: Do you really need to be witty to win other people over to your cause? "Wit" not only includes the "skill" but also the "hit". And often, wit also acts like a blow to the face of the other person. Skillful wit is a good surprise effect and "opens" doors. Less skillful wit may also surprise, but it almost always comes at the expense of the conversation partner. In a sales conversation, for example, wit from the customer's point of view is a tightrope walk between "that's great and humorous" and "that's arrogant and hurtful". And this tightrope is usually narrow. A seemingly witty answer from you can motivate your counterpart to an even stronger reaction, leaving you with nothing to say in doubt. Or - even worse - your wit unnecessarily embarrasses your counterpart. And please do not underestimate the often negative impact of your wit in the subconscious of your counterpart - especially when they cannot find suitable responses. Here too, the motto applies: "You meet at least twice in life." Wit, practiced skillfully and with tact, is a very useful tool for communicating convincingly and openly. It goes without saying that not every technique fits every situation and every conversation partner. But don't worry: you will quickly develop a good sense for it. And please remember, the path to a communicative flop is often very short. Therefore, develop your sense of wit in non-critical situations and with people who can give you honest feedback if needed. I wish you always have a good instinct for when and how wit is appropriate and helpful. Feel free to reach out to me anytime if you or your staff want to refine and train wit and convincing presence in general. More information can be found on the completely redesigned website www.die-stilwelt.de. Warm regards, Peter A. Worel   For Peter A. Worel's profile: https://www.trainers-excellence.de/redner/peter-a-worel.html