All questions include an implicit contract. If the contract were explicit, the questioner would choose what kind of answer they wanted:
- brief
- complete
- comprehensible
For example the question "How are you?" may be answered:
- brief, comprehensible: "Fine."
- brief, complete: (some obscure, technical, psychological term that may not have been invented yet)
- complete, comprehensible: (what happened so far today, and the day before, a dozen or so of your recent thoughts, your life history, your most annoying habits, your best powers concealed as charming traits, your heart rate, blood sugar and bank balances)