Top Pages
biases
cognitive effects
fallacies
deception with statistics
effective business writing
body language
Reprimanding with Moderation
How To Reprimand Calmly
Reprimands delivered with moderation are usually more effective than shouting, emotion-filled words, passive aggression, or backhanded compliments.On occasion, you might be required to disagree with someone or reprimand them. Your counter-narratives and tellings-off will be far more powerful when moderation is applied. (It's the equivalent of the headmaster telling you he's not angry but disappointed or that you've let yourself down.)
Either because of your standing or theirs, you might be ill-advised to raise your voice or use words full of emotion. Besides, calmer words are usually far more effective.
What Are Calm Words?
I'm not suggesting you should use backhanded compliments and become passive aggressive. Even passive aggressive is too aggressive. Here are some witty examples to explain what is meant by backhanded compliments:- "Remember, Russ, it's just as important to stay behind and guard the women and children."
- "It's nice that you can wear tight jeans without that unsightly bulge that most men have."
- "What I like about your toupee is it says, ‘Hey, I have better things to spend my money on!'"
- "You have four cats? It only smells like one."
- "Lee, it's great that you're so self-confident, you can wear anything."
- "He is a modest man, and he has much to be modest about." (Attributed to Sir Winston Churchill)
- "Mark is full of untapped potential."
- "The meeting was perfectly adequate."
- "Thank you for your comprehensive letter." (This is a secret code. It always means your letter was too long and detailed.)
- "The meal was nutritious." (You think this is a compliment? Try it on your spouse.)
- "I was a little surprised to see you had recommended Simon over Alan." ("I was a little surprised" is a calm way of saying "what the hell were you thinking?".)
- "With a little more tempering, this man will be an excellent officer."
This quotation neatly captures the idea of presenting "possibly aggressive" reprimands:
"Iron fist in a velvet glove"
(Attributed to French military leader and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, 1769–1821)
(Attributed to French military leader and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, 1769–1821)
Critical Thinking Test
Are you good at spotting the biases, fallacies, and other cognitive effects? Can you spot when statistics have been manipulated? Can you read body language? Well, let's see!
Gold

Silver

Bronze
0
- This test has questions.
- A correct answer is worth 5 points.
- You can get up to 5 bonus points for a speedy answer.
- Some questions demand more than one answer. You must get every part right.
- Beware! Wrong answers score 0 points.
- 🏆 If you beat one of the top 3 scores, you will be invited to apply for the Hall of Fame.
Scoring System
Guru (+)
Hero (+)
Captain (+)
Sergeant (+)
Recruit (+)
Guru (+)
Hero (+)
Captain (+)
Sergeant (+)
Recruit (+)
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
- Do you know a bias or fallacy that we've missed?