I think the main difference here is that many people are able to start talking before they have the answer, whether they know they are doing that or not.
A few social cues to show you are thinking help there. Just to say things like "Let me see...". After that you have a few seconds to think about it, expected. And then you can add some more cues so they realise you are still thinking about it e.g. "that's a good question" or "hmm tricky" or whatever. Which is also encouraging them as well. You can watch what others do and see what they say and do in similar situations.
And can help to say some of your thinking out loud so they follow your thought process too, again if you try listening to and watching people who are good in those situations you can model after that.
For that matter e.g. equation on the board, to read it out (if it hasn't been read out yet).
I notice that when experienced speakers are asked questions from the audience, often they repeat the question. Not the whole question but enough of it, slightly rephrased but taking up the same words and language - to show they have understood it. Which reassures the questioner that they have been understood. Also helps others in the audience who may have not quite caught the question, or may be a bit unsure themselves what the question is. And that also gives you a good few seconds to start thinking about how to answer it. So - again - not so much but often in ordinary conversation then people repeat questions as well like that, in their own words, again a matter of watching how it is done and copying.
If you are just totally silent while working out something it makes people socially uncomfortable and the time will seem to stretch for them also.
I don't think 10 seconds is long at all for a complex problem. Depending on what it is that could be super fast lightning calculation. Many will take minutes of thought even if relatively straightforward, in areas like maths and science.
At least - of course your situation may be different but I think this is quite common anyway, and something I've had to deal with a fair bit, being interested in abstract complex things where you just can't expect to have instant answers to things.
Also just to say too, that slow and fast thought are - pretty irrelevant in many situations except to show off to your colleagues how bright you are. It's far better I think to be a slow thinker and get to the right answer than to answer quickly and be wrong. And even if you answer quickly and are right - you might have deeper understanding of the problem as a result of the more slow and thorough way of thinking about it of a slow thinker, which may then help later on.
Except in some situations - test pilots and military people and ambulance workers and doctors - they have to make fast decisions of course, and learn how to prioritize and focus on the essentials they need to consider to make a decision. And are sometimes in situations where it is best to do something, quickly even if not necessarily the most optimal thing to do, than to spend many minutes thinking over the best response. E.g. in an emergency situation with a casualty, to get a bandage on a wound if they are bleeding to death, and maybe it's not the best choice of bandage and maybe it needs to be replaced later on - but that's not your priority right then and it gets the job done - and prioritizing what thing to focus on first in an accident scene.
That's something one can learn to do also if one needs to.
A few social cues to show you are thinking help there. Just to say things like "Let me see...". After that you have a few seconds to think about it, expected. And then you can add some more cues so they realise you are still thinking about it e.g. "that's a good question" or "hmm tricky" or whatever. Which is also encouraging them as well. You can watch what others do and see what they say and do in similar situations.
And can help to say some of your thinking out loud so they follow your thought process too, again if you try listening to and watching people who are good in those situations you can model after that.
For that matter e.g. equation on the board, to read it out (if it hasn't been read out yet).
I notice that when experienced speakers are asked questions from the audience, often they repeat the question. Not the whole question but enough of it, slightly rephrased but taking up the same words and language - to show they have understood it. Which reassures the questioner that they have been understood. Also helps others in the audience who may have not quite caught the question, or may be a bit unsure themselves what the question is. And that also gives you a good few seconds to start thinking about how to answer it. So - again - not so much but often in ordinary conversation then people repeat questions as well like that, in their own words, again a matter of watching how it is done and copying.
If you are just totally silent while working out something it makes people socially uncomfortable and the time will seem to stretch for them also.
I don't think 10 seconds is long at all for a complex problem. Depending on what it is that could be super fast lightning calculation. Many will take minutes of thought even if relatively straightforward, in areas like maths and science.
At least - of course your situation may be different but I think this is quite common anyway, and something I've had to deal with a fair bit, being interested in abstract complex things where you just can't expect to have instant answers to things.
Also just to say too, that slow and fast thought are - pretty irrelevant in many situations except to show off to your colleagues how bright you are. It's far better I think to be a slow thinker and get to the right answer than to answer quickly and be wrong. And even if you answer quickly and are right - you might have deeper understanding of the problem as a result of the more slow and thorough way of thinking about it of a slow thinker, which may then help later on.
Except in some situations - test pilots and military people and ambulance workers and doctors - they have to make fast decisions of course, and learn how to prioritize and focus on the essentials they need to consider to make a decision. And are sometimes in situations where it is best to do something, quickly even if not necessarily the most optimal thing to do, than to spend many minutes thinking over the best response. E.g. in an emergency situation with a casualty, to get a bandage on a wound if they are bleeding to death, and maybe it's not the best choice of bandage and maybe it needs to be replaced later on - but that's not your priority right then and it gets the job done - and prioritizing what thing to focus on first in an accident scene.
That's something one can learn to do also if one needs to.
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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