A brilliant way to respond to insults.
A few years ago, I read an interview with a musician whose name escapes me.
During the interview, the journalist said something surprising. He said:
“I have to confess. I’m not at all familiar with your music.”
This is a subtle insult.
Why?
Because when journalists interview musicians, they research them. They listen to their music. They listen to a lot of their music. They prepare.
This journalist didn’t, though, and instead deliberately brought up that point.
How did the musician respond? Was he insulted or angry?
Nope.
He simply said, “Well, that’s quite all right. I probably haven’t read many of your articles, but this is the beauty of our business.”
That insult didn’t even have a second to land on his shoulder. He brushed it aside before it could touch down.
Let the little insults go. They tend to cause big damage if we hold on to them too tightly.
