Staying silent while something wrong happens is still a choice. It just doesn’t feel like one until later.

Doing nothing feels like neutrality while it is happening. Your body reads it as safe, safe reads as reasonable, and by the time the moment passes you have told yourself you were not really involved. It comes back later, usually at night, as the sentence you could have said. That delay is the whole trick.

Giving a speech is not required. Saying the person’s name, changing the subject, standing next to whoever it is aimed at, or texting them afterward all count. Pick the smallest version you would actually do, so it is ready before you need it.