Learning to say “tell me more” will get you further than having the perfect comeback.

A good comeback ends a conversation and leaves you exactly where you started. Asking somebody to say more keeps it going, and what comes out next is often the part you did not know, which is the only route by which the exchange could have changed anything. It also disarms people who were braced for a fight. Winning an argument and finding something out are rarely available at the same time.

Use those three words once this week in place of the reply you had ready, especially when you disagree. Let the other person fill the silence, and notice how much more you have to work with.