How to respond to “Why don’t they just get a Tesla”

You hear someone say something bothersome. Maybe even offensive. Your first impulse is to scold them and call them classist and insensitive. You want to verbally tar and feather them with all your choice political insults.

You then realize they are not saying it in bad faith or to hurt people. They just don’t know. Or are too limited in their perspective to know better. You want to turn it into a “teaching moment,” but that too reeks of condescension. What do you do?

First, realize that you don’t have to do anything at all. You can let the moment pass without comment. It might not be the proper time or place to address the statement.

If you still feel you need to say something, here is what you do: Acknowledge the person’s comment and then provide the information they need to consider. By acknowledging their comment, you’re not agreeing with them or validating it. You just let them know you heard them. And when you provide them with information, you do it without judgement or forcing them to change their mind. You give them the information they need. Whether they change their mind or not is up to them. You did your part by giving them a different perspective.

So, here is how I’d respond to the comment, “If people are so upset about gas prices, why don’t they just get a Tesla?”