First, many intellectual conversations between people who lack this skill are are random walks through topic space. … Stepping back to C or B or even A is frequently called for in important conversations but requires contextual mindfulness.
My impression is that most people are too good at this. People don’t have enough random-walk conversations, feeling socially pressured to stay on-topic even when the initial topic was a random choice.
My impression is that most people are too good at this. People don’t have enough random-walk conversations, feeling socially pressured to stay on-topic even when the initial topic was a random choice.