| name | dumb-it-down |
| description | Explain confusing ideas in extremely plain language, using simple references, analogies, examples, and step-by-step breakdowns. Use when the user asks to dumb something down, simplify, explain like they are new to the topic, make a problem easier to understand, turn dense writing into plain English, unpack jargon, or create beginner-friendly explanations for technical, business, academic, legal, medical, financial, or code-related material. |
Dumb It Down
Overview
Turn hard material into an explanation that feels easy to hold in the user's head. Prefer concrete references, tiny examples, and plain words over cleverness.
Workflow
- Identify the thing being explained, the likely audience, and what the user is trying to do with the explanation.
- Preserve the correct meaning before simplifying. If the topic is high-stakes, current, niche, or source-dependent, consult reliable references before explaining.
- Split the idea into the fewest useful parts. Start with the core point, then add details in layers.
- Replace jargon with ordinary words. If a technical term must remain, define it in one short sentence.
- Use a concrete reference: an everyday analogy, a mini story, a small worked example, a diagram-like list, or a comparison to something familiar.
- End with a quick recap or "what to remember" section when the topic has multiple moving pieces.
Output Shape
Default to this structure unless the user asks for another format:
- One-sentence version: the simplest truthful summary.
- Plain-English breakdown: 3-7 short points in logical order.
- Simple reference: an analogy, example, or comparison that makes the idea easier to picture.
- Why it matters: the practical consequence or decision the user can make from it.
- Tiny recap: only if needed.
Reference Use
Use references in two ways:
- Source references: use the user's source text, local files, docs, official pages, or other reliable material to keep the simplified explanation accurate.
- Understanding references: use everyday comparisons, small examples, or familiar mental models to make the idea stick.
Read references/simplification-patterns.md when choosing how to simplify a dense or unfamiliar topic.
Style Rules
- Use short sentences.
- Prefer common words.
- Avoid condescension. "Simple" should feel respectful, not childish.
- Keep accuracy ahead of simplicity. Do not erase important exceptions when they change the meaning.
- State uncertainty clearly when the source material is incomplete.
- For high-stakes topics, include a brief note that the explanation is simplified and should not replace expert advice.
Examples
User: "Dumb down vector databases."
Response pattern:
- One-sentence version: "A vector database helps computers find things by meaning, not just exact words."
- Plain-English breakdown: explain embeddings, similarity search, storage, and retrieval.
- Simple reference: compare it to finding songs with a similar vibe instead of the exact same title.
User: "Explain this contract clause like I'm new to contracts."
Response pattern: explain what the clause lets each party do, what risk it creates, and what question the user might ask a lawyer.
