An explanation of how something happens may leave untouched the question of why it matters.

Mechanism and meaning are separate questions, and answering one can feel like answering both. You can describe exactly how grief works, or how attraction works, or how a company failed, in complete causal detail, and still not have said anything about why it matters to the people inside it. Description is not evaluation, though it often wears the same confident tone.

Notice when a thorough account leaves you unsatisfied, because the dissatisfaction is usually accurate. Ask the second question separately: given that this is how it works, what does it mean for the people involved, and what should follow. Some of the most useless advice you will receive is technically correct about the mechanism and silent about the point.