Quote: "Imminent death makes me tense! I admit it!" Calvin in the "Calvin & Hobbes" comic strip.
Figure of Speech: paromologia (pa ro mo LOW gia), the judo move.
Calvin's dad is trying to get him to ride a bike. "Look Calvin, you’ve got to relax a little," he says. Calvin replies with a great paromologia, a figure that concedes a point in order to make a stronger one, like sacrificing a pawn in chess.
Try using the same trick. Instead of disagreeing, agree, then use the point to your advantage. You may never have to ride a bike again.
Snappy Answer: "Imminent death builds character."