We've learned not to expect short inferential distances when explaining ideas we understand. We've also learned that leaping too far ahead when explaining ideas like transhumanism can freak people out.
I want to be really really good at explaining ideas. Does anyone have recommendations about how to figure out what the next inferential step is in another person's mind?
Categories which are not answers themselves but are areas in which I expect to find answers:
- Asking filter questions
- Social contexts
- Verbal cues
- Body language
Do you have tips for Recalling what it was like before you understood? I frequently notice that I don't know how to do that.
I super endorse Motivating each step, especially when it comes to math. I find I have a lot of trouble with advanced math textbooks that do not do this well (and that's most of them).
Find a way to do the activity in a way that negates your previous knowledge and training.
For example, when I used to teach hooping, if I wanted to remember what it was like to try doing a move that you don't already "have", I would do it in my non-dominant direction. It would feel completely awkward, and I would catch myself making all the mistakes that first-timers to that move make, since I hadn't already trained it into muscle memory. Then when I taught a class, I would... (read more)