The speaker tells a story, describes other people or events in which he is not involved, or presents a generalized or detached account of ideas. Nothing makes the content personal. The content is such that the speaker is identified with it in some way but the association is not made clear . The speaker refers in passing to himself but his references do not establish his involvement. First person pronouns only define the speaker as an object, spectator, or incidental participant.
Attention is focused exclusively on external events.
The speaker does not supply his attitudes, feelings or reactions. He treats himself as an object or instrument or in so remote a way that the story could be about someone else. The content is a terse, unexplained refusal to participate in an interaction, or an avoidance or minimizing of an interaction. Minimal responses without spontaneous comments are at stage one. The association between the speaker and the content is explicit.