If you’ve been maneuvered into an awkward spot: start asking questions. Lots of them. You’ll regain control of the situation. Dutch artist Martijn Engelbregt applied this principle quite nicely in his “counter-script”. Here’s the idea: say you’re being bugged by a telephone poll-taker. Don’t answer his questions, ask questions on your own. This way, you’ll buy time and control the direction in which the dialogue moves. By asking questions you get the upper hand.
