Alison Wood Brooks

Now, when we start to think about more conflictual context, so let's say a negotiation or maybe a feedback meeting to someone at work, We do see instances where there is a tipping point where you can ask too many questions, where someone starts to feel defensive. There's information they don't want to share with you. Or are you going to use, why are you asking me so many questions?

Are you going to use my answers to exploit me later? So people are just a little bit more guarded in those contexts. But even there, even in the most intense negotiations or the most conflictual contexts, we're What surprised us in the data is that the tipping point where lots of questions becomes too many questions is way further out than you would think.

Are you going to use my answers to exploit me later? So people are just a little bit more guarded in those contexts. But even there, even in the most intense negotiations or the most conflictual contexts, we're What surprised us in the data is that the tipping point where lots of questions becomes too many questions is way further out than you would think.

Are you going to use my answers to exploit me later? So people are just a little bit more guarded in those contexts. But even there, even in the most intense negotiations or the most conflictual contexts, we're What surprised us in the data is that the tipping point where lots of questions becomes too many questions is way further out than you would think.

The bigger risk in any context is not asking enough questions. Walking away and having asked zero or one or two questions the whole time is a much more common mistake. than asking too many. So there is a tipping point when people have conflict, but we should think less about that and think more about the silent killer of conversation, which is not asking enough.

The bigger risk in any context is not asking enough questions. Walking away and having asked zero or one or two questions the whole time is a much more common mistake. than asking too many. So there is a tipping point when people have conflict, but we should think less about that and think more about the silent killer of conversation, which is not asking enough.

The bigger risk in any context is not asking enough questions. Walking away and having asked zero or one or two questions the whole time is a much more common mistake. than asking too many. So there is a tipping point when people have conflict, but we should think less about that and think more about the silent killer of conversation, which is not asking enough.

Let's go to levity. Let's go. When you say go to levity, I imagine us like sledding down a hill or riding a balloon into the air because levity is a very fun place. It's a place we need to go in our conversations. It's these moments of sparkle and bubble and fizz that keep things fun and engaging. And they're so very important.

Let's go to levity. Let's go. When you say go to levity, I imagine us like sledding down a hill or riding a balloon into the air because levity is a very fun place. It's a place we need to go in our conversations. It's these moments of sparkle and bubble and fizz that keep things fun and engaging. And they're so very important.

Let's go to levity. Let's go. When you say go to levity, I imagine us like sledding down a hill or riding a balloon into the air because levity is a very fun place. It's a place we need to go in our conversations. It's these moments of sparkle and bubble and fizz that keep things fun and engaging. And they're so very important.

That was an intimidating moment. I didn't, I actually, I ruminated about that afterwards because I did feel very put on the spot about tell me a joke. And I was like, oh, I wish I had prepared.

That was an intimidating moment. I didn't, I actually, I ruminated about that afterwards because I did feel very put on the spot about tell me a joke. And I was like, oh, I wish I had prepared.

That was an intimidating moment. I didn't, I actually, I ruminated about that afterwards because I did feel very put on the spot about tell me a joke. And I was like, oh, I wish I had prepared.

I know, exactly. I hope I did a good tap dance in that moment. I think I did come up with something, didn't I? It was probably quite bad.

I know, exactly. I hope I did a good tap dance in that moment. I think I did come up with something, didn't I? It was probably quite bad.

I know, exactly. I hope I did a good tap dance in that moment. I think I did come up with something, didn't I? It was probably quite bad.

Oh, how cute. Actually, yeah, the problem is we read a lot of these joke books together with my kids, but they love them so much that they memorize the jokes. And then I don't because I rely on the kids to say them to me. They recite them back. So anyway, it was quite the memory challenge. But I appreciated it because they started from a place of levity.

Oh, how cute. Actually, yeah, the problem is we read a lot of these joke books together with my kids, but they love them so much that they memorize the jokes. And then I don't because I rely on the kids to say them to me. They recite them back. So anyway, it was quite the memory challenge. But I appreciated it because they started from a place of levity.

Oh, how cute. Actually, yeah, the problem is we read a lot of these joke books together with my kids, but they love them so much that they memorize the jokes. And then I don't because I rely on the kids to say them to me. They recite them back. So anyway, it was quite the memory challenge. But I appreciated it because they started from a place of levity.

So levity in the book and in my class that we talk about is So many conversations go off the rails for obvious reasons where people, there's hostility, there's confrontation, there's disagreement. These are very obvious, loud problems and they exist and they are very important, but there's a more quiet killer of conversation and that's boredom.