Almost a decade ago, on a flight from Houston to New York, I found myself sitting next to a seemingly pleasant woman who introduced herself as a sales director for a large technology company. We began with a polite exchange, sharing a few details about our backgrounds and the reasons for our visits to New York. After a few minutes of conversation, I reached for my newspaper, signaling that I wanted to read quietly. But instead of taking the hint and winding down gracefully, my neighbour launched into a monologue that lasted for the entire journey.