When was the last time a work of fiction got you choked up or emotional and lingered for at least a day? What was it? Share ... Talk amongst yourselves.
How would you respond if somebody said something racist to you at work? Assume that it's not about you or any group to which you belong. In my situation, it was something along the lines of, "99% of black people are poor, so fried chicken is considered a delicacy for them."
Does your response change based on whether this person holds a lot of influence in your place of employment?
Can you think of anything so mundane that if bad things started happening to you shortly after it came into your possession, you'd never even suspect it was cursed? (Its for fiction, so actual belief in cursed objects is irrelevant.)