A man once told me that while it is impressive when Bob Dylan plays the harmonica while playing the guitar, it would be clownish if he also played cymbals with his knees.
There is such a thing as too much.
So it is with details. I teach classes on presentation skills. It is important to have the right combination of generalizations and examples whenever you are seeking to persuade a group. Tucked in with those, you need the right amount of details.
Without enough details, you sound vague and unsure.
With the right amount, you sound authoritative.
With a little too many, you sound nerdish.
With way too many, you begin to resemble a bathrobed eccentric in search of a park bench and a chess game.
There is no easy formula. Most people, to apply the famous definition of pornography, know it when they see it, but if you get the slightest feeling that you are close to providing too many details, back off.
At that time, less is more.
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