"You do not have to apologize," Data tells her. "You were simply attempting to use humor to diffuse the tension of the situation, were you not? It is quite natural to do that; for some people, it is their way of dealing with difficult or awkward circumstances. And the joke itself was well-phrased, well-timed, and appropriate to the situation..."

(Ever since Data has had the capability to feel nervous, he has noticed an odd pattern:

He tends to babble.)