Does this mean I write code so that it can be read by someone with little experience? Yes, generally. Does this mean I am constantly having to verify my assumptions, as if I don't know anything? Yes, it does. There are some things that I'll take a pass on verifying, but if elevates a problem and everything else checks out, I'm going to seart looking at the parts that I "know" are fine.
But ryanf, while not defending "that guy" (me), made my point for me: if I have to stop and think about whether -3^5 == -(3^5) because some hotshot didn't consider it manly to use parentheses, nobody wins.
If I were writing that expression I'd use (yes, completely unnecessary) parentheses around &a out of habit... the same habit that wouldn't let me write -3^5. Either way, it doesn't burn any more cycles.