03/18/2024

How to Respond to an Insult, According to Therapists

Let silence speak louder than words

Have you ever been stunned into silence by an insult—only to think of the perfect witty comeback two hours too late?

Of course, you have, and there’s a physiological reason why.

"When someone says something offensive or harmful that hurts us or hurts a member of a community that’s really important to us, our nervous system can get activated," said Kerry McBroome, a psychologist in Brooklyn. "The parts of the brain that are responsible for coming up with clever or witty things to say are just not online—they’re nervous and sensing a threat."

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.