Let them have the last word. You’ll have the rest of your afternoon back.

The last word is worth far less than it feels like in the moment. Whoever speaks last has not won anything, though the wish for it is strong enough to cost a whole afternoon of mood. Letting it go is neither agreement nor defeat; it is deciding the exchange has taken enough. Most people never notice who finished.

Next time you have the perfect reply ready, hold it and spend the hour on something else. Check later whether you still want to send it. Usually the wanting has passed, which tells you what it was for.