Explain a complex topic without dumbing it downWhen you want to actually understand something, not just have it surface-explained.
Devil's advocate (challenge my thinking)You've formed an opinion or plan. You want it stress-tested before committing.
Pre-mortem (find the failure modes before they happen)You're about to commit to something. You want to surface what could go wrong before you're mid-stream.
Map a new domain (entry-level survey)You just got pulled into a new field/topic and need to come up to speed fast.
Translate a concept from field A to field BYou know one domain well and need to understand a related concept in another field.
Teach me by quizzing me (Socratic mode)You want to be tested on something, not lectured. The struggle is where retention happens.
Review my mental model (where am I confused?)You think you understand something. You want to check whether you actually do.
Steel-man the opposing viewYou disagree with something. You want to understand it well enough to argue with it honestly.
Convert tutorial to a checklist I can runYou read a long tutorial. You want a checklist for next time, not to re-read it.