Actually, it’s not difficult to escape from the question session
with your dignity intact, provided you never fail to be solicitous
and respectful of your questioner and you avoid getting into
public arguments. The general idea is that you—and not your
questioner—are in the dominant position in the room. From the
perspective of the audience, the scales are tipped so strongly in
your favor that if you display even a hint of argumentative or
condescending behavior, you’ll be viewed as a bully and lose the
sympathy of everyone in the room. (You’ll also run the risk of
provoking friends of the questioner to spring to the rescue and
really nail you.) With that general precaution in mind, here are a
few specific guidelines to ensure your survival: