Quote Originally Posted by rogueboy View Post
Depending on the context (who isn't understanding you, and who's saying you can't say they aren't understanding you?), you could be in a position where you're just stuck with babying them (if it's a supervisor, for example), or they may just be an oversensitive moron (if they're a student). Either way, you might be able to strike a balance between "you aren't understanding" (which blames them) and "I'm not explaining properly" (which puts the blame on you). Perhaps something along the lines of "something seems to be getting lost, let's try again" (which doesn't blame them, but also doesn't admit fault).

That being said, I'm not sure why going increasingly towards the most basic it can be isn't allowed, which is what makes me suspect it's someone being oversensitive (which, if it were me and they weren't a boss/supervisor, I'd completely ignore and just continue simplifying it and telling them that they're missing the point).
You know, I think this may be a cultural thing. I live in a country where it's never anybody's fault, no one ever has any responsability and arguing over something, no matter how important, is considered inappropriate and treated as an annoyance.

So obviouly everything is set at the lowest common denominator. If you are smart you need to make yourself stupid in order to avoid offending others. You are not allowed to know more unless it's your job. Otherwise everyone has to be equal.
And I hate it.

Everyone is NOT equal, everyone is different! Of course everyone has the same human rights, but other then that why should I fake being ignorant when I know something? Why should I talk like an uneducated imbecil when I can express myself more properly? Why do I need to speak dialect all the time just to avoid getting weird stares? Why is it expected that I cheat the law one time or another just because "everyone does"? Why do I have to neatly fit into a subculture? Why can't I just be an individual without scaring, angering or confusing people?!

I'm just rambling. But I'm sick of it.