Shana’s answer to “I am reading Americanah, and I'm about half way through. If, for the protagonist, Nigeria is 100 % …” > Likes and Comments

I think you did exactly what you needed to do to minimise your definsiveness. It's a practiced skill. You caught yourself doing and reminded yourself of what you were doing. With enough practice, it will become second nature to the extent that you may never even consciously registered the first moment of defensiveness.