Boy howdy do I agree with this. I've developed a visceral reaction to hearing this, especially coming out of my own mouth.

It surprised me to read that the author felt self-conscious about asking for clarification of details for fear of looking stupid. My experience from very early school involved teachers encouraging students' questions, even very basic or retrograde questions about the material. Personally, I carried that into professional life and never thought twice about it.

How many of you have been put in a difficult situation by a "just" user because you didn't speak up when they glossed over complexity?