The term "rocket scientist" is often used euphemistically, and I wanted to make sure my usage of the words rocket scientist could not be interpreted any way but literally. Perhaps the phrases "he's no rocket scientist" or "it ain't rocket science" aren't used in the milieu of the community here? I know humor is generally dismissed in this community, but if there is an in-built assumption that euphemistic language isn't expected either, then I can certainly see how my use of literal could be misinterpreted.
When you ask if it's possible that [insert conclusion], when your conclusion is worded as to be super obvious and something your conversational partner really should have thought of, you're not writing the nicest sentence in the world. When you add the "I'm sorry, but", well, you're not actually apologizing for anything. A non-apology is one of those polite veneers that are put on sentences to pretend they're not insulting. Which magnifies the condescension.
My child has pragmatic communication issues, and I've experienced that he (and others, adults and children alike) generally appreciate being told when they're speaking in a manner that suggests superiority even when I know they're not intending to sound that way. On the other hand, people who are just arrogant will become hostile. That's my gamble, and my question would help me to quantify the nature of that gamble.
Many people in certain segments of information technology, for example, are frequently challenged by social cues and pragmatic speech. I don't know if those groups are more concentrated here versus, say, in a community focused on space. And I don't like to piss off the communities that I have enjoyed being a part of. I learn from mistakes and, when I'm not sure, I ask.
Please don't project a hostile intent; I didn't accuse anyone of anything negative and I was sincerely trying to better understand the people in this community because, for better or worse, I identify with it.