Me and the Mouse in my Pocket: The Proverbial "We"

While it may be crass and narcissistic to refer to yourself directly in the third person, you can bypass social mores by indirectly referring to yourself through use of the proverbial "we".

By emphasizing group solidarity, regardless of it's actual existence, you can safely distribute responsiblity for your statements. This is done through the simple expedient of substituting "we" for "I" in your statements.

"We are not interested in what you are offering..."

"We would prefer to go out for seafood than for italian..."

"We are not comfortable with this situation..."

When you represent as just yourself, you leave yourself open to having your opinion marginalized. When you represent as some ambiguous group, you will get a lot less resistance.

Just be careful not to get too carried away and only use this when needed. Otherwise, you risk sounding like a weirdo when you tell your barista that "We would like a large latte".

And be prepared for when you get challenged with "who is this 'we' you are talking about?".

I always respond with: "me and the mouse in my pocket..."