Rarely, in day to day life, will you find yourself in the situation that someone has placed the blame for a mistake that they have made on you. Some jobs have this as a daily occurrence, so this is more useful to them, but everyone can benefit.
If this situation were to arise to you, I highly recommend a firm “You’re welcome” right before the conversation ends. Not a sarcastic, drawn-out “You’re welcome” like a teenager, that’s too obvious. Pleasantly and politely, “You’re welcome” like you misheard a thank you. Its like a spiral ham dinner on a cold winter day, high morale and internal satisfaction abound. If you are on the phone, hang up immediately. But be sure to continue listening, as you might even get the rare and other-worldly satisfying “But I didn’t even say thank y-*click*”. If getting to say “You’re welcome” to someone without a “Thank you” is akin to seeing Bigfoot, then hanging up on them mid-recognition of this is like seeing Bigfoot eat a Whopper on a treadmill. Only it’s all there for you and your own enjoyment to soak in.
It’s really the most pleasant way of saying “Up Yours” to a stranger I can think of. A hearty Willy Wonka “Good Day” is over-used and is easily over-acted. “Child, please” isn’t as mainstream yet, and will always go over old peoples heads. “You’re Welcome” gives the illusion that you understood them to be saying the two little words (“Thank you”) their pride wouldn’t allow them to. The two words they have said hundreds of thousands of times in their lives, but won’t say now because they are far too right. The two words they have carefully omitted from the conversation to try and save what face there is to be saved from being important and incorrect.
If you found this article to be insightful and pointed, then you are welcome. If you did not, “You’re welcome“.
The Whimsical MetaCognitionist Chronicles 