[pojzon]

I often try to explain something probing on what will be the appropriate level for the listener.

So you start at the level you expect the person to understand but you often have to go few levels lower (simplier).

I understand its needed for laymen, as in this saying “if you cannot explain something simple enough - you dont understand it well enough”.

Tho I often find myself explaining stuff the same way to experts in the field :)

Which makes me realize -> real experts are extremely rare.

[russellendicott]

I find this to be true. I find that while I work with people who are perfectly capable of becoming experts in a given category, they protect their brains from having to hold unnecessary information that isn't relevant to their current course. This is a very important survival tactic in our field as one can get easily distracted.

I can count on one hand the number of people I could walk up to in a hallway with a random article and geek out for 3hrs--like a mental foodie. A rare profile indeed.