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Dumbing It Down

June 26, 2025

There’s a lot of pressure to make things dumber. Better to make it dumb than to have someone simply walk away, apparently.

With so much to consume, and an unlimited amount to learn, there’s a race to make knowledge into a checklist item. Freon gas!  Large language model!  Coefficients! Many people just want to say a magic word and move on.

Of course, if we dumb things down, they become dumb. This is not the same as simplifying concepts before adding nuance.

Four year olds easily learn to speak, and many kids in second grade can read.  Not because they have a dumb version, but because someone cared enough to make the method simple.

There are simple explanations for quantum mechanics and for auto mechanics as well. They simply take a while to understand well enough to teach them to other people.

Start with basic principles, go slow and build. No need to dumb it down. Simple it up instead.

We have enough dumb. We need more simple.

 

 

Authors: 

Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf was formerly a professional development specialist at Brown University. Bob has 45 years of experience as a superintendent, principal, teacher & special education.  Bob has traveled conducting Brain & Learning Institutes for Greenleaf Learning.  bob@greenleaflearning.com

* Adapted from Seth Godin, 11.10.24, who is a serial entrepreneur, Godin has a degree in computer science and philosophy from Tufts University, and an MBA from Stanford Business School. He runs the altMBA.  In 2013, Godin was one of just three professionals inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame, and in May 2018 he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame too.

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