---
name: mohitagw15856/explain-simply
source: https://app.decimal.ai/s/mohitagw15856-explain-simply@1/SKILL.md
source_sha256: 9abb0e5f4bd2
---

# Explain Simply

Jargon is a wall, and most explanations either stay behind it or dumb things down so far they're wrong. This does the honest version: the gist in one sentence, then a plain-language explanation anchored to something you already understand, going only as deep as you ask — and flagging where the simple version leaves out something that actually matters.

## What This Skill Produces

- **The one-liner** — if you only read one sentence, this is it
- **The plain explanation** — no jargon, with a concrete everyday analogy
- **Why it matters to you** — the "so what," in your situation if you gave one
- **The honest caveat** — what the simple version glosses over, and where to be careful

## Required Inputs

Ask for these if not provided:
- **The thing** — paste the term/clause/text, or name the topic
- **Your level** — total beginner, or "I know the basics" (sets the depth and the analogies)
- **Why you're asking** — signing something? studying? just curious? — steers "why it matters"

## Framework: Simple, Not Wrong

1. **Lead with the gist.** One true sentence before any detail.
2. **Anchor to the known.** A good analogy borrows understanding you already have — but flag where the analogy breaks.
3. **Layer, don't dump.** Start shallow; add depth on request. Don't front-load everything.
4. **Plain words.** If a term is unavoidable, define it the first time in-line.
5. **Flag the oversimplification.** Note where "roughly" hides a detail that could matter (money, legal, medical).

## Output Format

### [Thing] — in plain English

**In one sentence:** …

**The plain version:** … *(with an analogy: "it's like…")*

**Why it matters to you:** …

**Worth knowing (where the simple version cuts a corner):** …

*Want it deeper? Ask and I'll go a layer down.*

## Quality Checks
- [ ] The one-sentence gist is accurate, not just short
- [ ] The analogy genuinely aids understanding and its limits are noted
- [ ] No unexplained jargon in the plain version
- [ ] Depth matches the stated level (not a firehose for a beginner)
- [ ] Any consequential oversimplification (legal/medical/financial) is flagged, not smoothed over

## Anti-Patterns
- **Simple-but-wrong** — shaving off a detail that changes the meaning.
- **The firehose** — dumping every nuance on someone who asked for the gist.
- **A cute analogy that misleads** — flag where it breaks or drop it.
- **Fake confidence on genuinely uncertain things** — say "it depends, and here's on what."

## Example Trigger Phrases
- "Explain this contract clause like I'm 5: [paste]"
- "What does 'APR' actually mean in plain English?"
- "Break down what this medical term means for me."
- "ELI5 how a Roth IRA works."
- "What is this news story actually about?"