“Did I adequately answer your condescending question?”
Por qué es buena
Polite phrasing, open contempt: the question itself is the insult.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
Did I adequately answer your loaded question?
00:00 / 01:37
00:00 / 01:37
Mark Answers with Minimum Attention, Explained
The Social Network · 2010
Capítulo 12 de 23 · 1'37"
A lawyer keeps pressing Mark during his deposition, and Mark answers with open contempt. Asked if he is paying full attention, he says no, then explains: "You have part of my attention. You have the minimum amount." His last question is the perfect closer.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:57–1:36
❝ Monólogo · 8 frases Mark's Minimum Attention
38s
Mark Answers with Minimum Attention, explained
What happens
During his deposition, Mark is asked whether he strung the Winklevosses along for six weeks and why he raised no concerns earlier. He answers vaguely, even mentioning that it started raining, until the lawyer asks if she has his full attention. Mark says no, and explains exactly how little she has.
What's really going on
The deposition is the film's cleanest example of Mark's weapon: contempt under perfect control. He does not shout or insult on impulse; he answers the question literally, which is the most damaging way possible. "You have part of my attention. You have the minimum amount." The line works because it sounds like a precise, honest answer, and it lands as a verdict on everyone in the room. When the lawyer asks why she deserves no more, he hides inside procedure — he swore an oath, so he must tell the truth — and then turns her question back on her with "your condescending question." Nothing here is accidental; every flat tone is aimed.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Did I adequately answer your condescending question?”
- A closing jab disguised as courtesy: he asks if his reply was good enough while labeling her question as condescending.
- “You have part of my attention. You have the minimum amount.”
- The line that defines the scene: a precise, brutal way of saying he does not respect the person questioning him.
- “Do you think I deserve your full attention?”
- The lawyer's attempt to regain control, which only gives Mark another chance to wound her.
- “Mr. Zuckerberg, do I have your full attention?”
- A formal prompt that sounds like procedure, thrown into an encounter Mark is treating as beneath him.
Theme
- Pride — Mark's sense of superiority is so complete that he answers the opposing lawyer with open contempt.
- Power — Being the smartest person in the room is Mark's leverage, and he uses it to humiliate the people questioning him.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel1/5
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“You have part of my attention. You have the minimum amount.”
Por qué es buena
Attention measured out and reported like a balance.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
You have part of my time today, and you have the smallest part.
“Do you think I deserve your full attention?”
Por qué es buena
A short question that turns the lawyer's own test back on him.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
Do you think I deserve your full attention for five minutes?
“Mr. Zuckerberg, do I have your full attention?”
Por qué es buena
A courtroom question that puts attention itself on the record.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
Do I have your full attention for the next ten minutes?
I'll ask again: do I have your full attention now?
Monólogo
Un personaje sostiene la escena: practícalo entero❝ Minimum attention
I think if your clients wanna sit on my shoulders and call themselves tall, they have a right to give it a try, but there's no requirement that I enjoy sitting here listening to people lie. You have part of my attention. You have the minimum amount. The rest of my attention is back at the offices of Facebook, where my colleagues and I are doing things that no one in this room, including and especially your clients, are intellectually or creatively capable of doing. Did I adequately answer your condescending question?
Shoulders, leftover attention, then the polite return question. He finishes the insult in open court.
Siguiente · 13written in inkLa escena: Erica Confronts Mark Over the InternetPreguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhat is Mark being asked at the deposition?
Whether he strung the Winklevosses along for six weeks and why he did not raise his concerns earlier. He gives flat, unhelpful answers that frustrate the lawyer questioning him.
What does the minimum amount of attention mean?
It means she has only the smallest possible share of his focus. He phrases it as a factual, almost technical answer, which is what makes it so insulting.
Why does Mark mention the rain?
To deflect. He notices it is raining instead of engaging with the question, showing how little he thinks the proceeding deserves his concentration.
Where does this deposition take place?
In a conference room during a pre-trial deposition, with the Winklevosses' lawyer asking the questions. Mark's own legal team is present, but he answers without checking with them.