A mean comment takes two seconds to type and can live in someone’s head for twenty years.

The cost of saying something cruel is paid almost entirely by the person receiving it, and the imbalance is enormous. What took no effort and was forgotten by the afternoon can be recalled word for word decades later by whoever it landed on. Sharpness travels much further than it feels like it should.

Before sending the clever, cutting line, remember it will outlive the mood that produced it. If you are angry, say the direct thing instead of the memorable one. And if you have already sent one, an honest apology still does work years later.