Explainers shoot high. Aim low!

Abstract

This article discusses a common predicament faced by experts trying to explain their fields to novices: the tendency to overestimate the audience’s prior knowledge, which is attributed to the illusion of transparency and self-anchoring. It argues that explaining a complex topic requires much more effort than usually perceived, as evidenced by the surprising popularity of ‘simplified’ papers even among fellow academics. The article proposes that aiming several grades lower than one’s perceived target audience can lead to better communication results. Lessons from the author’s own experience in explaining Bayesian reasoning, initially targeted at elementary school level but found valuable by undergraduates and professors, emphasize the need to aim lower when explaining complex concepts. – AI-generated abstract.