Sometimes, in a conversation or discussion, you are attacked head on. The other person challenges everything you say, does not let you finish your sentences and always has one more objection. My default reaction in a situation like this is to be defensive. Which is probably wrong in any case, but here I want to write about a special situation: The other person is is playing chicken.

You know, chicken, the game you sometimes see on the movies. Where two cars drive head on at a high speed until one of the drivers “chickens out”.

In a conversation, interesting things can happen when you do not chicken out. Maybe the other person is on your side and she only wants to challenge you. When you become defensive, nothing new can happen. But when you fight back, new ideas can can develop and a great discussion can emerge. The crash, that would kill the players in a real game of chicken can not happen, so you have nothing to lose. This posting is a note to self: When somebody is playing chicken with you in a discussion, stay head on!

Of course, the other person could also be just an annoying a… . Then there’s no fun in playing and you should just leave. The difficult part is to recognise the difference.