The Art of Simple Explanation

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” — Albert Einstein

True mastery is the capacity to reduce something to its most basic form rather than its complexity. You can communicate a concept simply and elegantly when you fully understand it.

But achieving simplicity takes work. As Leonardo da Vinci put it, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

The great thinkers across disciplines have this in common — they translate difficult concepts into digestible ideas.

Richard Feynman eloquently explained atomic physics using just drawings and plain speech. Stephen Hawking brought cosmology to the masses by finding clear analogies anyone could grasp.

Excellent teachers have the ability to simplify the profound.

So what allows genius minds to convey complexity with clarity?

A few key principles:

Master the fundamentals.

You can only simplify after deeply understanding something at its core. Study broadly and intimately. Connect the dots between disparate threads. Internalize not just surface principles, but nuances and applications.

Build a flexible mental model before trying to communicate the ideas.

Cut out the jargon.

Technical terminology has its place, but often erects unnecessary barriers. Translate insider language into generally accessible words.

Strip away acronyms and pretentious phrasing. Make your explanations welcoming to the broadest audience possible.

Use metaphors and analogies.

Connect difficult concepts to everyday experiences your audience can relate to.

Compare the abstract to concrete examples that ground it in reality. Use storytelling and vivid imagery to paint the picture. Make it sensorial.

The brain grasps new concepts best when framed in familiar terms.

Focus on the why.

Technicalities and processes are boring without purpose. Explain why something matters first. Establish emotional resonance and significance before diving into details.

Keep bringing it back to the underlying human motives. Connect to what people care about.

Embrace visuals.

Illustrations, diagrams, and multimedia can convey in seconds what would take paragraphs. Use every tool available to communicate ideas intuitively.

Let people see and experience, not just hear your explanation. Vary sensory formats to keep interest high.

Simplify iteratively.

Don’t expect to achieve simplicity in one shot. Treat explanation as a process of constant refinement. Write, get feedback, and rewrite.

Pare down elements without losing nuance. Reduce until you isolate the absolute core ideas. Continual iteration will sharpen your communication.

The ability to simplify complex ideas is rare. But with work, anyone can improve. Master the core concepts fully, translate insider speak into commonly understood language, use illustrative examples, focus on the why, and iterate constantly to pare down to the essentials.

Follow these steps, and you too can achieve the ultimate sophistication — simplicity.

Bonus:

Download my free eBook, Inversion: The Crucial Thinking Skill Nobody Ever Taught You.

Read my articles on Medium and Vocal.

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