Wit

As repartee refers to the " disarming " response to verbal " attacks ". She reveals intelligence and presence of mind.

Importance

Is considered to be quick-witted someone who can respond appropriately and funny in an unexpected remark or question. Repartee celebrities find their way into stories and collections of quotations. Famous ( and feared ) were Otto von Bismarck, Hermann Ehlers, Winston Churchill, Franz Josef Strauss and Herbert Wehner.

Repartee is the opposite or surprise the audience, but also the quick-witted speaker himself, who indeed reacts spontaneously, without the possibility of reflection. Following Niklas Luhmann, is given by a surprise a higher probability that the ongoing communication continues. Repartee may therefore be a particularly good example of the successful continuation of a communication because, contrary to expectations succeed in doing what should be prevented by an invective actually. The claimant draws the attention of listeners and creates connection in a situation that is not applied to connectivity back. A quick-witted remark in this sense would not " point " to the tapers a drama, but a reaction to events that may otherwise could stop the communication - if you will, a kind of " emergency switch ", which ensures that communication in any case continue to flow, no matter how stupid, embarrassing or uncomfortable is the remark which has just made the opposite.

In the parliamentary rhetoric and talk shows allow repartee to respond to heckling or " stupid questions " sovereign or downplay embarrassing incidents. In television shows she has entertainment value. Many presenters and comedians are used because of their repartee; because it helps to bridge breaks.

Learnability

In general repartee as innate talent that can be trained only within limits. Since about 1995, give success coach ( it) to be able to improve the repartee of paying customers. Also self-help literature deals with this topic. Institute for professional development and provider of seminars sell " repartee " mostly among fashionable art words like " provocative rhetoric " or "Power Talking". Not infrequently, it 's less about a guide to repartee as a training aggressive assertiveness. Other wittedness trainers offer courses that will make it easier for shy people, linguistically to " counter " if they are attacked, or to help them easier to achieve social contacts and professional success. Here, the boundaries to rhetoric, conversation practice and everyday conversation.

From time immemorial, the German Balts love the " Pliggern " to check wit and repartee of their counterpart. In the Prussian officers' mess repartee was training hard. Frederick William IV was known for his amiable repartee. The nobles and the Corps is expected such a huge joke and maintained today.

Examples

• At a reception Edward VIII ascends the stairs. When he escapes an unmistakable body wind, hisses the walking behind him Duchess: "I do indeed never happened. " Then Eduard surprised: "Really? I could have bet that was from me. "
• In one of Churchill's speeches in the House calls an oppositional Hinterbänklerin: "If I were married to the man, I'd give him arsenic in your coffee. " Then Churchill: " And if I were married to the lady, I would drink it. "
• On 23 October 2012, the Republican Mitt Romney and Democrat Barack Obama met for the third televised debate of the U.S. presidential election on 6 November 2012.

• A reporter asks Franz Josef Strauss on TV, whether he was a Cold Warrior. Then Strauss: "I 'd rather be a cold warrior than a warm one brother. "

Many jokes life of repartee. In the railway a lieutenant asks the other if he knew the joke from the Admiral. A gentleman at the opposite lowers the newspaper and gives himself as an admiral to detect. Then the lieutenant: "Do not worry. I speak loud and clear. "