Why Do People Talk?

I enjoyed reading what Ira Glass had to say about interviewing, and talking in general. She talked about how it's such a rare thing in our lives to have someone genuinely listen to what we have to say. Klosterman describes Glass as amicable and sincere, and she describes herself as legitimately curious about what people have to say. It seems this interest and sincerity would certainly help a person to open up to Glass in an interview. It's like when someone speaks to us excitedly and that excitement is contagious, the interviewee would respond to Glass with the same sincerity. Also, being genuinely interested in what a person has to say would help an interviewer because I think people would be more apt to respond simply because it is such a rare thing to have someone wholly listen to you. In class, or even out with friends, we don't hang on our professors', acquaintences', or friends' every word. In class or conversation, we get the gist of the physics lesson or the story about our friend's cat, enough for us to get by. In an interview, we are looking for interesting things for our paper or article; looking for direct quotes to add character and reliability; we really have to listen. This gives the speaker control and they may like that, as well, giving them another reason to respond.