What is understanding? Does it mean that you know something? Or perhaps that you comprehend some matter at hand? What do you understand? Websters defines understand as: To perceive the nature and significance of; know. Nature is in turn defined as the order, disposition and behavior of all entities in the Physical Universe. Significance is defined as; having meaning, and Perceive is awareness, through the senses, or to understand. Know is also; to understand. So, it would seem that we have a rather circular definition here that seems to apply to our environment, and is quantified by an unassigned "meaning." I don't know about you, but this certainly hasn't gotten me anywhere. (I did hunt down a dictionary that I thought I had lost, but that's beside the point.) Let's see if we can hunt down a definition that is a little more objective. Perceive, hmmm. Perception is relative to the observer. For instance if I am color blind, and I cannot see the color Orange, then to my perception, it does not exist. In my mind, I might decide, (and justifyably according to my perception, and thus my under-standing of the Physical universe) that Orange does not exist, and further that anyone who asserted that it did, must in fact be a blasphemous heretic. You, might decide, and again justifyably, that I am absolutely freakin nuts, and choose to adamantly, or even vehemently disagree with me. Worse yet would be if one of us decided to try to impose our beliefs (see LIE), and thus our will upon the other. "Any attempt to impose my will upon another, is violence." <Gandhi> Wow. What a mess! There could be Orange inquisitions and Blue jihads, and all sorts of nonsense. Even beyond that we would both be wrong because these 'colors' are only valid with regard to our perception of a very small spectrum of wavelengths of light, that can be seen by the naked eye. Perception is relative. In short the basis upon which we are agreeing to define our Under-Standing, and the validity of what we Know, is such that we will always, I repeat Always, disagree.
Pardon the irony of this next statement, but I think, I understand.
We have wars and hate and opposing religions because we all Know that we understand the situation and the next person does not. Everyone bases this on what they Perceive, and everyones perception is relative to the individual. So the foundation, that which Stands-Under our way of belief and rationalizes our course of action is like sand, seperate and unjoined. Inevitably all that which we build upon that sand will fall. Any building of any size, shape or strength.
The foundation must be solid, so that whatever is built on it will stand. It must Under-stand.
We have over time developed a hit and miss civilization, sometimes finding the right way to do things and sometimes just finding a way to get them done. Perhaps it should come as no suprise that the most insightful definition of understanding is not contained in the dictionary, but in the word itself, expressed each time it is spoken. To have Under-Standing is to have an Objective not subjective foundation upon which to place our knowledge, and thus ourselves. Also it may be good to note that although there may be a LIE in the center of what we beLIEve, there is truth in the center of each lie, for in the center of each lie, is I.
Finally, try out the feel of knowledge as an action; To know the ledge.
Of what?
Perhaps, our Understanding.
This article has appeared in newsletters and college papers in various parts of the country.
The Lost Mage
