Understanding

 

How many times have we said “I understand” and bobbed our heads in seeming agreement when someone has shared a tale of sorrow or despair? The question is do we really understand or is it like saying “Hi, How are you” everyday without really giving further notice to the answer “Fine”. Are we really fine?

What is “understanding”?, a knowing, a perception, a feeling, an agreeing, an experiencing…..Such a commonly used phrase “I understand“ never fails to surprise. Because let’s face it. We can really understand only when we have faced the exact set of circumstances which led to the experience. Makes me ponder over the fact that what is it that we understand of a situation whenever we utter those words. Is it that we understand how good or bad the situation is? Or is it that we understand the feelings or emotions involved? Or is it that we understand the intensity and depth of the circumstance? Or is it that we just agree with the situation as it being true?

It is entirely one’s own perception as to how we look at a particular situation which actually leads to various “understanding’s by different people… So when we say ‘I understand’ is absolutely a different perspective when compared to the person with whom I’m saying these words., Certain situations, especially when dear ones are involved, saying it is more like saying “I’ve been through the same feelings and so I know how you feel” or it could mean “I know and totally agree with you and so I understand” But the question is do we really understand? If so , what is it that we understand?

An addiction, a desperate wish to do something, these are cases where the mind just takes over. And as curiosity can never be killed, one has to go through the motions of this experience to really feel the end to that desperation. In this case, Experiencing is Understanding, in fact, a true Understanding…but yet another perception.

A child falls and gets hurt, runs to the parent’s arms in tears, an immediate gesture from the parent is “ I know, I understand, it hurts” Knowing is Understanding….,A person expressing his emotions about a dear one to a friend, a supporting phrase from the friend, “ true, I understand”…. In this case, Agreeing is Understanding..

Understanding is more like a combination of knowing something since it was felt before and agreeing to it and also the other way round.. Another perception. Understanding is not truly ‘understanding’ but just a perception of how it might be, how it could have been.. But the intensity is not felt to the same extent as the one who is experiencing. It is just a percentage of the feelings felt due to our past experiences similar to those which are being discussed.