When a driver recklessly cuts you off, you lay on the horn. When someone says something inappropriate, is reacting in a similar way helpful?

What I'm really trying to say is, I have a habit of calling out bullshit. But it's very confrontational because if I just let it slide then they will do it again to someone else.

My question is, does reacting in a strong way help at all? Doesn't it let that person know they did something wrong and deter them at least a little from doing it again?

What if we never honked? What if we never confronted these people? Wouldn't the world be a worse place?