I'm accustomed to being able to get further in one sitting, but that's because my usual writing isn't peppered with references to experimental results and tediously building my case point by point; usually I just rely on metaphor and people's personal experiences as evidence. Here, though, I've noticed that people prefer authorities in the form of citations, to looking at their own personal experiences... so it seems to take a hell of a lot longer to build up statements of any substance.

Now this sounds like some kind of ritual, empty of substance. Authority? Give me a break.