The Ultimate Comeback to Any Insult - Jefferson Fisher
Lawyer Jefferson Fisher joins Chris Williamson to explain how to answer an insult without firing back. He argues that calm silence and simple questions expose the insult and take away the reaction the other person wants.
The gist
-
Fisher's first move is 5 to 7 seconds of silence, letting the insult fall on the table because you don't have to catch it.
-
Next he asks, "I need you to say that again," and says he has yet to meet anyone who could repeat it.
-
Asking "did you mean for that to sound insulting?" makes people admit their intent, and also checks texts that may just read as short.
-
Drawing on thousands of depositions, Fisher says manipulators aren't afraid of anger but of calm, and never want to seem unreasonable.
-
Fisher suggests open questions like "tell me what I'm missing," adding that people often insult others because they are in pain themselves.
Chris, Tim, Andrew and This Week in Startups agree on 25 things
See what they all use, in their own words. Paid ads are left out.
See what they all swear by Or pick your own peopleAds in this episode
Timeline. They're paid, so we keep them out of the picks above.
See what Chris recommends without being paid →
◎
Related episodes
Episodes covering similar topics
More from Chris Williamson
How to Master The Urge That Ruins Men’s Lives
Oct 20, 2026
This AI Company Stole My Voice (allegedly)
Oct 16, 2026