They all seem so young, so willing to say something but fast and nervously and making sure it had a piece of them in it. They wanted to make sure the instructor knew they were different some how. Mis-quoting forgotten authors, the name dropping of “this one scientist” or “this one guy” without using any actual names. The instructor is sympathetic. He too was once, young, dumb and so anxious to stand on his soap box like they are now. He listens because it is his job. We pay him to listen. Throughout the mostly banal one-way discussion I thought maybe at least these people were thinking and sharing and I did none of these things. But I thought, no one was really ever listening to anyone else. Everyone was simply waiting for the next person to stop talking. This wasn’t a discussion. They’re not thinking but mostly reciting something they heard or read or someone else heard or read. That is not your voice, but we’re hearing it and you’re diguising it as yours. I feel like I’ve been doing this all my life.