Explain It To Me Like I’m 5

First, none of what follows is meant to denigrate or demean anyone. I understand that the above phrase is popular in the world of social media. People employ it for a variety of reasons, and sometimes they really are sincerely asking for a simplified explanation of a complex topic (particularly if they are largely uninformed regarding the subject matter in question). I get it. So, if you have used the expression recently, this isn’t intended to be a personal attack. Please, put away the pitchforks and torches… at least for the moment 😃

Second, I think what concerns me most about the whole sentiment behind EIL5 (explain like I’m 5) is that few things in the world are truly that simple. We live in an age in which we are surrounded daily by complexity, nuance, context, and variation of all sorts and types. To borrow a phrase from my time in manufacturing, the answer to so many questions and challenges in the world today is “It depends.” Very little is straightforward. And most things are characterized by varying shades and degrees of gray. (Or is it grey? Case in point…) Most topics are multidimensional in nature, and attempting to provide answers or solutions to them can be just as complicated (if not more so). Overlay all of this with a few layers of political self-expediency and personal dogmatism disguised as ideology, and it becomes nigh impossible sometimes to unravel the ball of twine, much less explain it in simple terms.

Third, it feels like the “force” of all this is pushing us to become people defined exclusively by “either-or.” The middle ground in most debates no longer exists. You’re more likely to see a unicorn than anyone with a moderate position on major issues. We are either cold and filled with apathy, or we are all heat and want to burn down the whole world. In one sense, it would be easy to blame it all on social media. The proliferation of memes, AI-generated photos, satirical news sites (like The Babylon Bee), Russian bots, and online trolls has broken down our ability to think objectively in many cases. We see something that aligns with our a priori beliefs or ideological leanings and we immediately respond by sharing or replying. I am for… I am against… I stand with… I oppose… I support… As if somehow the security and longevity of the whole known universe depended on every single one of us choosing a side.

Finally, one result of all this is that we have all become “experts.” The subject doesn’t matter. The logic is clear, albeit often inferred. “I once read a blog. I did a 5-minute Google search and read the headlines from the first few returns that are based on an algorithm driven by my own personal online behavior and preferences. I saw a movie once that loosely dealt with the issue. I have an opinion, and that all qualifies me to be an expert.” The irony is that so many in the world today bemoan and belittle expertise but then engage in online debate as if they were actual experts. (I know. That probably sounds arrogant. It isn’t meant to be. But that’s just what I think, so I guess that makes me an expert.)

So, in closing, to explain it like we’re all 5…

• One, not everything you read or see is a personal attack. Be graceful.
• Two, nothing is simple. Nothing. Be open.
• Three, you don’t have to choose a side if you believe in a middle ground. Be honest.
• Four, none of us are as smart as we think. Be humble.

Graceful. Open. Honest. Humble. I won’t pretend to have all the answers. In fact, I seriously doubt if I have any. But in this case, I think those four qualities might well be a “good practice” for interacting with others in today’s world where “rage is all the rage.” But maybe I’m oversimplifying it… 😉