Oversimplification
Simplification is not only useful but essential, particularly at a time like the present, when knowledge is expanding so rapidly. People who know a great deal about a subject find it necessary to communicate with those who know little or nothing about it. Teachers must explain to students, experienced employees to novices, attorneys to clients, physicians to patients,and scientists to the general public. Simplification scales down complex ideas to a level that can be understood by less knowledgeable people.
Oversimplification, on the other hand, goes beyond making complex
ideas easier to grasp; it twists and distorts the ideas. Instead of informing people, oversimplification misleads them. Unfortunately, oversimplified statements can sound insightful; in such cases, the errors can be detected only by careful analysis. Here are two typical examples of oversimplification:
过度简化
简化不仅是有用的，还是必须的，特别是像当知识扩展的如此迅速的今天。掌握一门学科许多知识的人发现和不太了解或者完全不了解这门学科的人来说交流沟通是必要的。老师必须和学生解释，老员工必须和新员工解释，律师向客户解释，医生对病人解释，科学家向公众解释。将复杂的知识简化到一个了解很少这方面知识的人也能理解的级别。
另一方面，过度简化，不止让复杂知识可以被简单的理解；它也扭曲和歪曲知识。过度简化不是告知人们而是误导他们。不幸的是，过度简化的陈述可能听起来很有希望；在这样的事件里，错误只有通过仔细分析才能被侦测到。这是两种过度简化的典型事例。
