Closed-off Thought

Summary: Prebuttal cuts off true dialogue by retreating inward to prepare for an attack that may not come.

• Prebuttal happens when you expect or predict disappointment and respond by retreating back into your internal world.

• Prebuttal happens when you react to your own anticipation and limit participation to your closed thought world.

• Prebuttal happens when you prepare your claim in advance, either refusing participation or not delaying intellectual gratification.

• Prebuttal clogs your ability to hear fairly and diminishes your skill at and willingness to engage in dialogue.