You knock, and Prof. X invites you in. You say, “Professor, I couldn’t help but hear what you said to Chris a couple of days ago. You may not know how that incident appeared to me and, I think, to other bystanders. We could see that Chris was shaken, and it seemed very humiliating for Chris to be receiving such scathing criticism in public.” The professor responds, “I didn’t realize that. I know I come on a little strong sometimes, and maybe I overdid it.”

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