- Truxton Spangler: When you left the house this morning wearing that tie, perhaps your wife stopped you in the doorway. Perhaps she told you how good you looked... in that tie. How handsome it was. Now, I'm sure you love your wife; might I suggest you have many reasons to distrust her judgment about that tie? Maybe she has a fond memory of another time you wore it, a sentimental attachment? Or perhaps she knows your tie collection, and she's simply glad you didn't choose one of the ties she dislikes. Perhaps she just sensed you were feeling a little fragile; she felt like bucking you up a little bit.
- [PAUSE]
- Truxton Spangler: Now imagine for a minute that you sit down here with us, and I say to you how much I admire that tie. Instantly you have another opinion, but... you don't know me. There's nothing personal between us, we have no sartorial history, no emotional attachment. Who's judgment are you going to trust? Mine? Or your wife's?
- [PAUSE]
- Truxton Spangler: The gentleman to my right is a remarkable intelligence analyst. He is skilled in pattern recognition, systems analysis, emergence theories... but - but, in truth, his greatest asset, for you, is that you don't know him, and he doesn't know you. He doesn't care about you. Or your feelings.
- [PAUSE]
- Truxton Spangler: He just knows what your tie looks like. You can trust him.
- Grant Test: So what are you estimating?
- Miles Fiedler: ugh, between ten and a hundred civilians in the target zone... that's a complete wag
- Tanya MacGaffin: What's a wag?
- Grant Test: Wild-ass guess
- Maggie Young: Hey. What's going on in there? Do... you... need something?
- Tanya MacGaffin: A blunt instrument.
- Maggie Young: Miles or Grant?
- Tanya MacGaffin: Both
- Truxton Spangler: A job well done, cheers. So, what did you think of our little show?
- Will Travers: Made me glad to be a lowly analyst.
- Truxton Spangler: Oh, don't sell yourself short, you were excellent this afternoon.
- Will Travers: I didn't speak
- Truxton Spangler: You'd be amazed at how hard that is for most people