Whataboutery [Ethically Speaking]

Discusses the reaction is known as whataboutery, or whataboutism, which refers to responding to a hard question or accusation by making a different accusation or changing the subject. The name is derived from a typical response to an accusation: “what about when you … ?” or “what about that person … ?” Sometimes the accusation is totally invalid. We all encounter whataboutism on a daily basis, on either the giving or receiving ends. Whatabouter y destroys effective communication. It is an emotional response to a comment. The following steps can help to diffuse inappropriate responses to whataboutery: 1) Recognize whataboutism and approach it analytically. 2) Isolate and resolve whataboutery by recognizing a person, phrase, or subject that acts as a trigger. 3) Strip away the emotion and evaluate the simple facts of the scenario to give an appropriate response.