Would you rather have the first word, or the last?. I would say I prefer to have the middle or last word. By that I mean that often someone else begins the discussion topic. Then others join in the discussion. Somewhere in there I join the discussion. Sometimes I hold back if the discussion is heading in a direction that is far opposite how I feel or think. Why? If I assess that my contribution or opinion are not going to move the discussion forward in a fruitful way, and instead are going to upset people, then I do not join in.
On the other hand, if people in the discussion are “piling on” and trashing someone’s good name behind their back, i join in even if it will upset the other people. Or if the discussion involves people trying to make a strategic decision that involves ethics—and they seem clueless as to the ethical and legal ramifications I will join it. I mean, it is my responsibility to help someone avoid being unethical or inadvertently doing something that is actually illegal. {Otherwise they could rightfully say later on, if you knew it was wrong, why didn’t you tell me}.
Having the last word isn’t all that important to me—I’m just as happy to have the other person have the last word–as long as I can tell that the discussion has gone as far as it can!
Believe Anyway 