How do I get AI to explain things at my level?
Add one line stating what you already understand and what you don't, then ask the AI to explain from there. Instead of saying simplify, name where you're standing—for example, I understand my salary and rent but not finance. The explanation then builds on your existing knowledge, climbing one step at a time.
How to do it
- Notice when an explanation misses your levelAI answers tend to swing between a professor's lecture and a five-year-old's version. Neither fits, because the model doesn't know what you already understand.
- State what you already knowTell it your starting point in plain terms, for example: I understand my salary and my rent, but I don't know finance.
- Ask it to explain from thereAdd the instruction to explain starting from what you named, so the answer builds on your existing knowledge.
- Name where you're standing instead of saying simplifyWhen an answer talks past you, don't just ask it to simplify. Point to what you do understand, and the explanation climbs one step at a time from there.
Questions that come up
Why is telling it what I know better than just asking it to simplify?
Simplify only tells the AI to dumb things down, not where to start. Naming what you already understand gives it an anchor, so the explanation builds on your paycheck, your rent, or whatever you named, and climbs one step at a time instead of guessing your level.
What if I don't know exactly what I do or don't understand?
Name anything concrete you're comfortable with, even a rough example. The point is to give the AI a real starting point it can build from. You can refine it after the first answer by telling it which part landed and which part still went over your head.
Does this work for topics other than finance?
Yes. The finance example is just one case. The method is general: for any subject, state the everyday things you already grasp and ask for the explanation to start there, so the answer connects to what you know rather than a generic level.
Full transcript
AI explanations are either baby talk or a lecture. One line pins them to your level. Watch. Explain interest rates. You either get a professor — or a five-year-old's version. Neither is for you, because it doesn't know you. Tell it what you know: I understand my salary and my rent — I don't know finance. Explain from there. Now the explanation stands on what you already know — your paycheck, your rent — and climbs one step at a time. When an answer talks past you, don't say simplify — say where you're standing. It meets you there.