virgin islands scene

Do. Or do not. There is no try.
-- Yoda
 

 

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

The understander

Understanding arises from more than just facts, information, knowledge. To truly understand, you must take into account the understander.

Your own understanding of anything takes place within a specific context. That context is you, and your life, your experience, all you know, all you feel.

That’s the case with you, and with everyone else. As such, understanding is not something that can be forced, or automated, or replicated en masse.

Certainly understanding can be encouraged, enabled, and facilitated to a great degree. Yet it remains an intensely personal activity, and occurs only when the person is fully involved.

If you seek understanding, you have to gain it within the realm of your own existence, and not as some disinterested observer. When you seek to be understood, proceed with all the empathy you can muster for each very real and complicated person in your audience.

Understanding can be a powerful, beautiful, and highly useful part of life. And it happens when you respect the real, live person who is doing the understanding.

— Ralph Marston

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