If you are driving all day long with a friend, and there’s nothing but blue sky and straight roads ahead, your conversation will probably wander to all kinds of topics. Perhaps you’ll listen to some music or news together. Maybe you’ll tell a funny story or share some thoughts about something going on in the world. It’s a good way to pass the time.
On the other hand, during the same trip, if you hit a huge patch of ice and start spinning around, putting you and your companion at risk of slamming into ongoing traffic of tumbling down a cliff, the priorities are going to change in a big hurry. You’re not going to be chit-chatting and laughing. You’re going to be focused on the emergency at hand and trying to save your life. Searching the FM radio dial for a good station simply isn’t going to occur to anyone.
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