How to Come Up with Good Comebacks
Consider the situation., Decide on an approach., Listen closely and think of a way to make the other person look foolish., Show disdain or amusement., Respond quickly., Remain professional.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consider the situation.
The first step in determining how best to respond to any insult is think about the situation and the source of the insult.How best to respond will depend on what's going on.
If the person who is insulting you is a friend and is joking around, feel free to joke back! If he has actually hurt your feelings though, you may want to discuss that.
If this person is really your friend, he will not want to hurt you. -
Step 2: Decide on an approach.
If the person is a bully or someone else who wants to hurt your feelings, decide if you want to ignore her or respond.
If you want to respond, you have a few options:
Make a funny comeback to make her feel foolish.
Make an earnest comeback aimed at stopping the behavior.
Try to have a conversation with her to try to get at the root of the problem. , To make a good humorous comeback, you need to respond directly to what the other person said to you.
A comeback that is off topic won't be effective or funny.
People won't get it, and you'll be the one who ends up looking silly.It's easy to get caught up in thinking about what you are going to say next and not really pay attention to what the other person is saying, especially if what the bully is saying isn't very nice.
Try to pay close attention to what he is saying about you.
His insults should provide the basis for your comeback.
A good comeback is one that makes the other person look foolish for insulting you.Think of something that will turn the other person's words back on him.
For example, if someone calls you ugly, you could respond by saying: "Too bad you can’t Photoshop your ugly personality."If someone makes a joke at your expense, you could respond: "Bet you were up all night thinking about that one." If someone insults your ability or skill at something, you could say: "Well, I learned by watching you."
Before delivering your comeback, you need to show that the insult hasn't hurt you — on the contrary, you should make it apparent that you think what the bully has said to you is stupid.
Your look has to match your words.Use your body language.
Raise an eyebrow, laugh, roll your eyes.
Anything to show how ridiculous you think the other person's words were. , For a funny comeback to work, you have to get it out right away.
If you are halfway down the hall before you think it up, it won't be effective.If you don't come up with a funny comeback right away, it's better to just save it for another time.
If this is an ongoing problem, there's a good possibility you'll have another chance. , If the bully you are responding to is someone you work with, stand up for yourself.
Do not, however, cross the line into being unprofessional.
In a workplace situation, for example, a good comeback might be one one that points out how the bully's behavior is hurting productivity.
Don't make one that that mocks her appearance or intelligence.You might say, "If you put as much effort into your work as you put into making fun of me you might not be behind on your project." -
Step 3: Listen closely and think of a way to make the other person look foolish.
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Step 4: Show disdain or amusement.
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Step 5: Respond quickly.
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Step 6: Remain professional.
Detailed Guide
The first step in determining how best to respond to any insult is think about the situation and the source of the insult.How best to respond will depend on what's going on.
If the person who is insulting you is a friend and is joking around, feel free to joke back! If he has actually hurt your feelings though, you may want to discuss that.
If this person is really your friend, he will not want to hurt you.
If the person is a bully or someone else who wants to hurt your feelings, decide if you want to ignore her or respond.
If you want to respond, you have a few options:
Make a funny comeback to make her feel foolish.
Make an earnest comeback aimed at stopping the behavior.
Try to have a conversation with her to try to get at the root of the problem. , To make a good humorous comeback, you need to respond directly to what the other person said to you.
A comeback that is off topic won't be effective or funny.
People won't get it, and you'll be the one who ends up looking silly.It's easy to get caught up in thinking about what you are going to say next and not really pay attention to what the other person is saying, especially if what the bully is saying isn't very nice.
Try to pay close attention to what he is saying about you.
His insults should provide the basis for your comeback.
A good comeback is one that makes the other person look foolish for insulting you.Think of something that will turn the other person's words back on him.
For example, if someone calls you ugly, you could respond by saying: "Too bad you can’t Photoshop your ugly personality."If someone makes a joke at your expense, you could respond: "Bet you were up all night thinking about that one." If someone insults your ability or skill at something, you could say: "Well, I learned by watching you."
Before delivering your comeback, you need to show that the insult hasn't hurt you — on the contrary, you should make it apparent that you think what the bully has said to you is stupid.
Your look has to match your words.Use your body language.
Raise an eyebrow, laugh, roll your eyes.
Anything to show how ridiculous you think the other person's words were. , For a funny comeback to work, you have to get it out right away.
If you are halfway down the hall before you think it up, it won't be effective.If you don't come up with a funny comeback right away, it's better to just save it for another time.
If this is an ongoing problem, there's a good possibility you'll have another chance. , If the bully you are responding to is someone you work with, stand up for yourself.
Do not, however, cross the line into being unprofessional.
In a workplace situation, for example, a good comeback might be one one that points out how the bully's behavior is hurting productivity.
Don't make one that that mocks her appearance or intelligence.You might say, "If you put as much effort into your work as you put into making fun of me you might not be behind on your project."
About the Author
Heather Patel
Committed to making practical skills accessible and understandable for everyone.
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