Receiving negative comments is inevitable for anyone who has gained recognition online. And while taking them personally may be a knee-jerk reaction, you can also look at them as a positive.
PenFed Credit Union Chief Marketing Officer Gaurav Bhatia even went as far as saying that criticisms should be perceived as a gift.
As Bhatia tells Forbes, people who take the time to respond, regardless of their tone, typically care or are, at the very least, interested in what you have to say. Therefore, listening to their feedback is the least we could do.
But since this article is all about crafting the perfect comeback, let’s shift our focus to that. One way to deliver that ultimate clapback is to not think too much about what you’re going to say.
As comedy teacher and improv consultant Belina Raffy tells Mental Floss, “You’re taking yourself out of unfolding reality if you think too much.”
Many of us strive for “perfection” when it comes to delivering the knockout punch of a response, and we tend to criticize ourselves too much. To silence that inner critic, experts advise against thinking and just shooting from the hip.
“In the heat of the battle, you just go for it,” freestyle rapper Lex Rush said in the same Mental Floss interview, noting how dropping rhymes on the mic is like a “stream of consciousness” where she has very little control over what she is saying.
Quickness is also key to delivering the ultimate comeback. Sure, it’s not as imperative as it is when crafting a perfect response in real time, face-to-face. But as social media expert Scott Talan states, “speed is integral to wit.”
“If you’re trying to be witty and have that reputation, then speed will help you,” he said.
