Tactic 12 of 99
The Silver Tongue
The sharpest blade in the room is a well-timed joke.
What it is
Humor lowers defenses. A laugh breaks tension, signals “we’re on the same side,” and makes people more open to what comes next. You don’t need to be a comedian. You need to know when one light line can turn a room.
Spot it
Someone uses jokes to make a serious issue disappear. Every time you raise something important, they make everyone laugh and the subject changes.
Counter it
Laugh, then come back to it. “Ha. Seriously though, about the money...” Humor shouldn’t be a door that closes the topic.