I finally understand why Explain Like I'm Five people care about questions

Tola Ibrahim · 61 likes

Fair point, but I had the opposite experience. My friend tried it in Melbourne and had the opposite result.

Ren Suzuki · 3 likes

That is the part people skip.

Arif Hasan · 44 likes

Not wrong, but I think this underestimates how different people's constraints are. My only addition is to make the first step visible.

Gentle Rider · 40 likes

This has cozy competence written all over it. I learned that one the expensive way.

Mehdi Benali · 29 likes

This is the gentle version of my rant.

Ethan Brooks · 21 likes

That is fair, but I still worry about maintenance.

Quiet Fern · 11 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Ethan Brooks · 11 likes

Yep, the boring details matter.

Diego García · 6 likes

I was going to disagree, but your second sentence got me.

Ethan Brooks · 2 likes

Yep, the boring details matter.

Gentle Rider · 1 likes

You just saved me a bad purchase.

Noah Miller · 18 likes

@gentle-57 Now I want a spreadsheet.

Grace Parker · 14 likes

I think both things can be true.

Ren Suzuki · 8 likes

That is a much better way to say it.

Grace Parker · 34 likes

I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat. The surprising constraint is probably the real story.

Luca Bianchi · 30 likes

This is genuinely helpful, thanks for writing it out. My only addition is to make the first step visible.

Sara Hosseini · 29 likes

Did anyone else read this and immediately make a tiny checklist? I would love to see a follow-up after 5 weeks. Small progress still counts.

João Pereira · 28 likes

Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today. I learned that one the expensive way.

Haruto Sato · 21 likes

That last line is excellent. The late summer version is even more interesting.

Ren Suzuki · 7 likes

I think both things can be true.

Salma Idrissi · 18 likes

Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today. I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability.

Rohan Mehta · 15 likes

I agree with the goal and disagree with the method. I am curious whether learning still feels good next month.

Siti Lim · 13 likes

The vibe here is immaculate. The a neighborhood park detail changes the whole answer. People underestimate how much sleep changes the answer.

Lena Müller · 1 likes

Anecdote beats theory here.

Amina Okafor · 11 likes

Not wrong, but I think this underestimates how different people's constraints are. I keep a note about questions for exactly this reason.

Ren Suzuki · 3 likes

Fair pushback.

Arif Hasan · 10 likes

Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. The the kitchen detail changes the whole answer.

Haruto Sato · 12 likes

This is the kind of disagreement I like.

Omar Hassan · 0 likes

@haruto-70 I am stealing that phrase.

Silver Orbit · 6 likes

@bd_marauder Short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes.

Tola Ibrahim · 2 likes

@bd_marauder This. Exactly this.

Urban Otter · 9 likes

Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today. A little friction removed goes a long way.

Luciana Vargas · 9 likes

I found this disappointing because it skips the hardest part. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near the train station.

Aoife Murphy · 61 likes

Noted, and thank you.

Mehdi Benali · 9 likes

Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near a family dinner.

Nour Ali · 8 likes

I wonder how much of this depends on timing. For me it came down to the routine.

Amelia Hughes · 7 likes

The context helps. Without it I would have assumed the opposite. I keep a note about explainers for exactly this reason.

Martina Fernández · 7 likes

This is genuinely helpful, thanks for writing it out. I am curious whether learning still feels good next month.

Curious Orbit · 7 likes

Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near the kitchen.

Avery Johnson · 6 likes

What happened after the first week? I am curious whether explain stayed easy.

Rizky Pratama · 11 likes

This is the kind of disagreement I like.

Ethan Brooks · 7 likes

You just saved me a bad purchase.

Ren Suzuki · 4 likes

I would love a follow-up example.

Ren Suzuki · 11 likes

I am curious what changed your mind.

Aarav Sharma · 3 likes

Adding this to my notes.

Pixel Mango · 5 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable. I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability.

Léa Bernard · 1 likes

I think both things can be true.

Nour Ali · 5 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. I noticed the same thing in São Paulo.

Maya Williams · 5 likes

Great point, especially the part about understand. The a tiny balcony detail changes the whole answer.

Emir Kaya · 1 likes

Thanks, that actually helped.

Ethan Brooks · 4 likes

I found this disappointing because it skips the hardest part. The 3-minute rule is underrated.

Lotte Jansen · 4 likes

Wonderful detail. It makes the whole thing feel real. The delightful part is easy to underestimate.

Brave Lantern · 4 likes

I would not call it wrong, just incomplete. The low-effort version is probably the keeper.

Yui Tanaka · 3 likes

I am saving this for the next time I overthink care. My only addition is to make the first step visible.

Paolo Garcia · 3 likes

Anecdotally, this tracks with what I have seen. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing.

Amina Okafor · 2 likes

Beautifully concise.

Gentle Noodle · 2 likes

Helpful correction.

Ngozi Bello · 3 likes

Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. I keep a note about learning for exactly this reason.

Noah Campbell · 2 likes

You explained the tradeoff really clearly.

Cedar Sparrow · 2 likes

This sounds good, but in practice it can be a bad idea without more context. The delightful part is easy to underestimate. I needed this reminder today.

Curious Orbit · 2 likes

Useful intention, poor execution. I would love to see a follow-up after 7 weeks. Glad you shared the messy version too.

Lucas Silva · 2 likes

There is a hidden assumption here that not everyone shares. This pairs weirdly well with bibimbap.

Curious Panda · 2 likes

Did anyone else read this and immediately make a tiny checklist? It sounds small, but the prototype matters.

Kabir Khan · 1 likes

This has cozy competence written all over it.

Luciana Vargas · 1 likes

I like the idea, but the setup probably matters a lot. I would write it down before changing anything else. I needed this reminder today.

Mara Fischer · 0 likes

Amazing how much difference one small change can make. My friend tried it in Lagos and had the opposite result.

Ren Suzuki · 16 likes

This comment has main-character footnote energy.

Gentle Lantern · 27 likes

I was going to disagree, but your second sentence got me.

Haruto Sato · 11 likes

I think both things can be true.

Omar Al Falasi · 2 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy.

Liam Wilson · 1 likes

Could be regional too.