Some­times when you’re explain­ing some­thing impor­tant to an audi­ence, some­body will nod and seem enthused, but then inter­rupt with a ques­tion which seems like it’s com­ing out of the blue. Some of us have a ten­dency to dis­miss these ques­tions as fail­ures to com­mu­ni­cate the core of our mes­sage clearly, or if we’re unsym­pa­thetic sorts we might dis­miss the inter­locu­tor as not pay­ing attention.

On the other hand, if they’re ask­ing a ques­tion you never antic­i­pated, then they’re telling you about some­thing you didn’t com­mu­ni­cate to them. If it’s not pure explicit con­tent, then it may well be they’ve missed the val­ues and basic assump­tions under­ly­ing your message.

If, for exam­ple, you tell them, “We’re going to do some­thing very cool and change the fuck­ing world,” and they ask you, “Where’s the money in that?” it may well be that you should have explained — first — why the money wouldn’t be impor­tant. Take the time to estab­lish a rhetor­i­cal frame­work for your expla­na­tion in which the notion of the money is triv­ial, tan­gen­tial, innocu­ous, absurd.

If they ask any­way, then just tell them you’re in it for the chicks. And move along to the next audience.

We don’t all have to under­stand everything.