As to Shreve's question about pushing back if you sense a dodge, keep in mind that there are sharply diminishing returns for each new followup.
Some guidelines I like:
1) Provide as many additional details the speaker explicitly requests.
2) If you think the speaker unwittingly misunderstood your question, clarify once and briefly. If that fails, it's a sign. Let it go for now.
3) If the speaker's response missed one of the 99 caveats you think are important, smile, sit down and consider drafting a letter.
Socratic conversations can be great ways to explore an issue, but they don't work while one party is on stage. You definitely shouldn't try to convert someone who is on stage. One followup should be all you ever need in this format. If you need more than one, you really just need a different setting.
Some guidelines I like:
1) Provide as many additional details the speaker explicitly requests.
2) If you think the speaker unwittingly misunderstood your question, clarify once and briefly. If that fails, it's a sign. Let it go for now.
3) If the speaker's response missed one of the 99 caveats you think are important, smile, sit down and consider drafting a letter.
Socratic conversations can be great ways to explore an issue, but they don't work while one party is on stage. You definitely shouldn't try to convert someone who is on stage. One followup should be all you ever need in this format. If you need more than one, you really just need a different setting.