"Si vous ne pouvez pas l'expliquer à un enfant de six ans, c'est que vous ne le comprenez pas vous-même."

The heart of this quote is about clarity and simplicity. If you can’t break down a concept so that a young child can grasp it, then you probably don’t get it fully yourself. It’s a call for deep understanding—knowing something so well that you can strip away the jargon and complicated language and still convey the essence of it.

Historically, this idea has roots in teachings from great minds like Albert Einstein. He’s often attributed with similar sentiments, emphasizing that true comprehension goes beyond surface-level familiarity. Einstein believed that if you truly understand something, you should be able to explain it in the simplest terms. This idea might have been shared during a conversation about teaching or when discussing complex theories in physics.

Imagine you’re explaining the concept of gravity to a child. You wouldn’t start with the law of universal gravitation and mathematical formulas. Instead, you’d say something like, “When you jump, you come back down because Earth is pulling you back.” It’s straightforward, and it’s something they can see and feel. That’s the essence of the quote—a deep understanding distilled into simplicity.

Take, for example, Steve Jobs and his approach to technology. Apple products are renowned for their user-friendly interface. Behind the scenes, the technology is incredibly complex, but the average user doesn’t need to understand all that. They just know they can swipe, tap, and it works. Jobs and his team had a profound grasp of the technology, so much so that they made it accessible to everyone—including, you could say, a six-year-old.

So how do you apply this wisdom in your own life? Start by challenging yourself. Whatever you’re learning or working on, try explaining it to a child. If you can’t, dig deeper. Break it down until you hit that level of simplicity. It’s a useful exercise, whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone eager to understand the world better.

Let’s put this into a relatable scenario. Think about trying to explain the internet to your grandparents. They didn’t grow up with it, so all the tech-talk might just sound like noise. Instead, you might say, “The internet is like a huge library, but it’s on your computer, and you can find anything in it in seconds.” Simple, right? They don’t need to understand servers and HTML; they just need the core idea.

In the end, this quote is a reminder to strive for true understanding. Not just for the sake of knowing, but for the ability to share that knowledge with others in the most accessible way possible. So next time you’re grappling with a tricky concept, think about how you’d explain it to a six-year-old. It’s a humbling, enlightening exercise that’ll make you a better learner and teacher.