understood 在此句作宾语补足语用，其结构为 make+obeject+past participle。

能作这种结构用的past participle  还有known, acquainted, felt, feared, heard, believed 等。例如: 

I couldn't make myself heard on account of the noise. 在如此大的声音下，别人肯定听不到我的讲话。 

Ben made himself feared by a habit of turning things into ridicule. 宾的讽刺挖苦的习惯使人家怕他。 

A liar cannot make himself believed. 说谎者总是使人不相信其所说的话。 

如果用被动语态来，形式如下: 

Everyone must be made to understand that the masses are the real heroes while we are childish and ignorant. 必须使人人知道群众是真正的英雄，而我们自己则是幼稚可笑的。