Yes, You Can Simplify Without Being Simplistic

Youtube is out of control. New weight lifters are told to do an exercise described as the excitation of the biceps brachii, the brachioradialis, and the anterior deltoids in non-exhaustive 6-10 rep sets using 8-RM with the forearm in a supinated position coincident with the concentric and eccentric action of the primary movers while combining both neuromuscular and mechanical stress on the targeted muscle group.

In other words: A biceps curl.

That's why it's called a DUMBbell.

Why do authors feel the need to hide their amazing ideas behind overly complex language? Two of the most recent beginning Greek grammars total a whopping 600 pages, while the latest introduction to New Testament textual criticism uses a method that even I don't understand. Students have only so much mental bandwidth. Weird and esoteric explanations are huge impediments to learning for the vast majority of our students. 

Would your architect start by telling you he is there to solve the complex problem that comes with integrating floor space with a single blueprint for an inhabitable dwelling? Or would he just give you a basic floor plan? Being good in your field is an entirely separate skill from being able to communicate ideas clearly. I am 100 percent sure that certain scholars hide their vacuous ideas behind inflated speech. Plain language means sharing only the most important information. But figuring out what to leave in and what to omit takes both time and thought. 

If you haven't already developed the skill of speaking or writing clearly, you probably won't.