Side-stepping Slights and Insults

Friends and colleagues kid each other in a facetious manner. This can be interpreted as a healthy way to "blow off steam" or signal minor frustration. Snide remarks and outright insults are another matter entirely. An individual may be seeking to get the upper hand or belittle another person for a feeling of power. Also, a stranger may make a cutting a cutting remark simply because they happen to be in a foul mood. Various strategies can be useful when we find ourselves in these situations. Bear in mind that humor as a tactic is likely to be safe only with those already close to us. It is  seriously overrated and can backfire easily. I will begin a number of familial examples and then conclude with some general tips for creating your own system of dodging these darts of human interaction. My oldest brother quietly nods when he is the target of unwarranted critique. My father sometimes responded in a  serious voice- " Now that doesn't sound nice at all". My middle brother looks at the offending party and leaves the room with little or no comment. The last one was my mother's advice to me when I had the first  truly mean boss of my professional career. She advised- " First listen carefully and calmly; then say ' You know I need to think about that- thank you ' and then go about your business". I'll add that all of these were paired with continuous, non-threatening  eye contact. It is key that whatever our response, it must not be communicated as a challenge. Vague, positive responses may suffice. I have a friend who says- "Alright, OK, alright" a number of times and this seems to work well for him. We need to indulge them without patronizing, quench their momentary thirst for power or assuage their fears. In a very real sense, the goal is to neutralize the attack, without inflicting pain or presenting any air of superiority. In essence it requires a sort of verbal Tai-Chi: stay loose and practice. Adapt these ideas or simply hone the responses that already work. I would enjoy hearing effective examples from my readers.