Freedom of speech doesn’t mean a guaranteed audience for your speech. For example, if people decide not to watch my videos (I’m taping one on the Minneapolis shooter today, by the way), they are not infringing on my freedom of speech. They are simply exercising their freedom not to listen.
What I do in such situations is adopting what somebody recently aptly called “the dotty aunt act.” When people start on their ideological trip, I chime in with a beaming look, “Oh, and I’m sorry for interrupting but I keep wanting to ask, how is your daughter doing in her first weeks of college? That’s so exciting!” or “Oh my God, and sorry for interrupting, but you won’t believe the funny thing that the Dean said.”
I have this perfect little anecdote about how the Dean said in a meeting, “Our university has many delayed maintenance obligations in the amount of a billion dollars”. And as he said that, pieces of stucco started falling from the ceiling right on his head. I already interrupted half a dozen unnecessary conversations with this story.
I understand that this strategy works for some personalities and not others. If you don’t have the dotty aunt look, it might be harder for you.
Does anybody have any suggestions for more seriously looking people?
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