A woman is talking about what happened. She went to the airport to meet her children. The plane was delayed. They had to wait several hours in the plane before taking off. What is interesting is how the woman told the story. She gave every detail, in proper chronological sequence, and clearly expressed her feelings and emotions at each moment. The goal was for the listener to vicariously experience the events, so that the feelings can be shared. While she is talking, she does not want to be interrupted, for this will disrupt the flow of the feelings. Her discussion took rather a long time.

 

Consider someone else relating the story, for the purpose of telling what happened. He would start from the end, and explain briefly what happened, mention what the possible options were, how one can avoid such an unpleasant situation, and what we can do about it.

 

When we discuss science, we must discuss it like the second person above, as the goal is understanding. We must encourage interruptions and questions. We must encourage our listeners to express alternative views.

 

SEE THE BOOK FOR MORE DETAILS.