About this quote

Start by naming the single reader who needs this story. If grown-up readers get tangled in the idea, drop the jargon and tell the core plainly. Treat clarity like an editing tool: cut scenes and words that hide the feeling you want to share. Then test the result on someone with a short attention span and keep what they remember.

When to use it

• Work — At a UX review I tell the team, "If our onboarding copy makes adults pause, rewrite it as if a kid had to get it in one read."
• Study — While drafting my thesis I mutter, "Explain this so a curious ten-year-old could follow it," then I rework a dense paragraph into a clear example.
• Family — Sitting at the kitchen table I decide, "This story is getting too tangled for bedtime; I'll tell it simpler so the kids stay with me."
• Startup/product — During a pitch I remind the founder, "If customers can't grasp the main idea fast, simplify the message like you're talking to a child."