Tit For Tat

In the spirit of EyeForAnEye or 'do unto others...', TitForTat is about ReplyingInKind?. If bad (or good) things are said (or done) to you, you say (or do) bad (or good) things in return. PrisonersDilemma explores the GameTheory involved. This page is about the bad things to say, when such are needed.

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KillerPhrases reduce resources (creativity, reputation, emotional wellbeing, social rank, etc.) of the attacked person. The attacker receives an adequate response.

KillerPhrases don't cost much time/intelligence to affect creative minds.

Also known as 'blocking' in the DramaticArt?s.

Be aware, however, that searching for a cute answer could waste valuable emotional and cognitive resources of the attacked person.

Knowing appropriate AntiKillerPhrases can be handy, but appropriate responses are about revealing the state of mind of the attacked person, than convincing the audience. AintNothinGonnaBreakMyStride?

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List of (Killerphrase, Antikillerphrase) pairs:

• Always done like that.
  • I'm sorry.
  • High time to change that ...
  • How horrible!
  • So when did you stop beating your wife?

• This cannot possibly work!
  • If we try it, we'll know for sure. [Note: this is almost a universal response to most of the KillerPhrase?s given below. I refactored it out. -- MartySchrader]
  • If man were meant to fly, he'd have wings. [But, if man were meant to remain on the ground, he'd have roots. -- AnonymousCoward]
  • For you, you're probably right. (If one man says it's impossible, and another says he can do it, to whom do you give the work?)

• That costs too much!
  • Right, that may seem so at the first glance...
  • Not necessarily - it may cost even more without.
  • Yes, that's what a poor man says, if he needs some bread and butter and cannot afford it. I don't think that we are in this position yet.
  • Compared with what?

• We don't have enough time to do it right.
  • When will you have enough time to fix it?
  • But we have time to do it wrong?!?

• You're too young!
  • Mozart wrote symphonies at age 8.

• If it ain't broke...
  • ...then we're not pushing it hard enough.
  • And who's going to fix it when it does break?

• I'll get back to you!
  • Great! If I don't hear from you by Thursday, I'll call and ping you.

• No!
  • Too bad. We sure blew that opportunity. <aside, quietly> I sure hope The Boss doesn't find out we had the chance to fix it now and passed.

• Great idea, but not for us!
  • You are joking, to refuse a great idea. Aren't you?

• Do you realize the paper work it will create?
  • Do you? Does anybody?

• It's not your responsibility!
  • What matters more: whose responsibility it is, or that it gets done?
  • Whose responsibility is it? I need to go talk with him.
  • Is it yours? Why aren't you doing it?

• We've tried that before!
  • What happened when you did? Would it have failed if you did it this way?

These well-known killer phrases also listed here: http://www.whatagreatidea.com/battplan.htm

There are also inspiring cartoons and thoughts for generating concrete AntiKillerPhrases, a job best done in a community. -- fp

More KillerPhrases can be found in MANAGING CREATIVELY - PUTTING IDEAS TO WORK FOR YOU By Carl Kline http://www.smartbiz.com/sbs/arts/ncr2.htm :

"It's great, but......"
"It's too risky."
"We tried that once."
"Who is going to do it?"
"We don't have the resources."
"Corporate won't let us do that."
"We can look into that later."
"What do you know about it."
"Be sensible."
"That's not logical."
"You're not paid to think."
"It's not your job."

To make this page more compatible with PrisonersDilemma, the friendly "Tit" should be illustrated by a list: EmpoweringPhrases? and their friendly counterparts. -- fp

"You're not paid to think." My personal favorite. Just exactly what are you guys paying me scads of money for, anyway? To sit on my hands? -- MartySchrader

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Contributor(s): FridemarPache

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CategoryCommunication