There is much meaning in the space between the words
Sometimes - for the avoidance of doubt - that space needs to be made as small as possible, squeezed between lots of other, limiting words
People who know each other well, or know each others profession or expertise, can understand each other very precisely even with very big spaces surrounded by few words which do not mean much to outsiders. Civil servants used to know very precisely what a colleague meant if they asked for a response BY close of play. Mmm in the right tone of voice speaks volumes to a husband or wife
Sometimes people feel a need to fill up as much space as possible to distract from the fact that their words mean very little or nothing at all
And what is left unsaid can be just as informative as that which is said
Which is why I am not a great fan of the aggressive, nit-picking interview. They are like battles in the Flanders mud, gory & painful, in which neither side gains very much ground
It robs me of precisely that important information about what the interviewee does NOT want to say
