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I use metaphors and analogies to build bridges between me and my listener. Particularly when I talk to a non-techie about some complex technical issues. I fin

I use metaphors and analogies to build bridges between me and my listener. Particularly when I talk to a non-techie about some complex technical issues. I find it’s my responsibility to find the bridge that brings us together rather than assuming my listener can’t or won’t understand.

saghm 2y ago
> Particularly when I talk to a non-techie about some complex technical issues One time when talking with my brother (who isn't super technical), we were discussing hardware for gaming, and I was explaining to him about how some processors might show up as having twice as many cores as they're described due to hyperthreading. I was having trouble finding a good way to explain to him that each "virtual core" wasn't fully equivalent to a traditional core but still helped provide additional throughput, and after a moment he quipped "oh, so it's like two-ply toilet paper, you don't want to separate a sheet into each part but it's still better than one-ply". I'd never have been able to come up with as relatable an analogy as that, but I've used it on more than one occasion since to help explain to other people.