Whoever reacts first usually loses the moment. Whoever responds last usually wins it.

Speed and thought pull against each other. The first reaction is the one your body produced, and it is honest but rarely wise, because it was made before the situation finished arriving. Waiting lets you hear everything, including the part the other person did not mean to say. The last word is not about volume, it is about having more information than anyone else.

Practice being slightly late to your own opinions this week. Let someone finish, count to two, and then say the thing. In a disagreement, be the one who answers rather than the one who fires back, and notice how differently the conversation lands.