Ha, I can tell you don’t have a lot of in-person conversations. You always say, ‘What?’ even though you clearly heard, because you have to buy time to think of a response. You treat every conversation starter as a pop quiz you’re scared you’re going to fail.

— Ether in Jason Pargin, I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom, 2024, St. Martin’s Press, Ch. Day 1, p. 59