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Information about Understanding

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Understanding is a psychological process related to an abstract or physical object, such as, person, situation, or message whereby one is able to think about it and use concepts to deal adequately with that object.

An understanding is the limit of a conceptualization. To understand something is to have conceptualized it to a given measure. Understanding is the association of the relationships between implications(conceptualized), and another's.

Examples

  1. One understands the weather if one is able to predict and to give an explanation of some of its features, etc.
  2. A psychiatrist understands another person's anxieties if he/she knows that person's anxieties, their causes, and can give useful advice on how to cope with the anxiety.
  3. A person understands a command if he/she knows who gave it, what is expected by the issuer, and whether the command is legitimate.
  4. One understands a reasoning, an argument, or a language if one can consciously reproduce the information content conveyed by the message.
  5. One understands a mathematical concept if one can solve problems using it, especially problems that are not similar to what one has seen before.

Is understanding definable?

It is difficult to define understanding. If we use the term concept as above, the question then arises as to what is a concept? Is it an abstract thing? Is it a brain pattern or a rule? Whatever definition is proposed, we can still ask how it is that we understand the thing that is featured in the definition: we can never satisfactorily define a concept, still less use it to explain understanding.

According to Thomas Edison, the concept of understanding comes from the two simple words under and stand. When one acknowledges that s/he stands below someone or something else, s/he makes him/herself receptive to obtain and retain information from it, thereby allowing for understanding to occur. [1]

It is more convenient to use an operational or behavioural definition, we can say that somebody who reacts appropriately to X understands X. For example, I understand Swahili if I correctly obey commands given in that language. This approach, however, may not provide an adequate definition. A computer can easily be programmed to react appropriately to simple commands, but there is a disagreement as to whether or not the computer understands the language (see the Chinese room argument).

According to independent socionics researcher Rostislav Persion:

In the cognitive model presented by MBTI, the process of introverted thinking (Ti) is thought to represent understanding through cause and effect relationships or correlations. One can construct a model of a system by observing correlations between all the relevant properties (e.g. The output of a NAND gate relative to its inputs). This allows the person to generate truths about the system and then to apply the model to demonstrate his or her understanding. A mechanic for example may randomly, or algorithmically probe the inputs and outputs of a black box to understand the internal components through the use of induction. INTP, ISTP, ESTP, and ENTP all use Ti and are usually the best of the 16 types at understanding their material environment in a bottom-up manner. These types may enjoy mechanics and digital electronics because of the 1 to 1 correlation between cause and effect relationships in these fields. Understanding is not limited to these types however as other types demonstrate an identical process, although in other planes of reality; ie. Social, Theological and Aesthetic. A potential reason for the association of understanding with the former personality types is due to a social phenomenon for asymmetrical distribution of gratification. In the field of engineering, engineers probe or study the inputs and outputs of components to understand their functionality. These components are then combined based on their functionality (similar to computer programming) to create a larger, more complex system. This is the reason why engineers attempt to subdivide ideas as deep as possible to obtain the lowest level of knowledge. This makes their models more detailed and flexible. It may be useful to know the formulas that govern an ideal gas, but to visualize the gas as being made up of small moving particles, which are in turn made up of even smaller particles, is true understanding. People who are understanding (through the use of Ti) usually value objects and people based on usefulness, as opposed to the people who use extroverted thinking (Te) who view people or things as having a worth. In order to test one's understanding it is necessary to present a question that forces the individual to demonstrate the possession of a model, derived from observable examples of that model's production or potential production (in the case that such a model did not exist before hand). Rote memorization can present an illusion of understanding, however when other questions are presented with modified attributes within the query, the individual cannot create a solution due to a lack of a deeper representation of reality.


Also: Some people believe knowledge is the simple awareness of bits of information. Understanding is the awareness of the connectedness of this information. It is understanding which allows knowledge to be put to use. Understanding represents a higher level than simple knowledge.

The concepts of comprehension, thought and understanding are also used in the short science fiction story Understand by Ted Chiang.

Religious Perspectives

In Catholicism and Anglicanism, understanding is one of the Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Quote

I'm very hard to understand but extremely easy to please. Nathan Gilkarov

See also

Psychology (from Greek: Literally "talk about the soul" (from logos)) is both an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior.
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Process (lat. processus - movement) is a naturally occurring or designed sequence of changes of properties or attributes of an object or system[1][2][3][4][5][6][7].
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This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims.
Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details.
This article has been tagged since September 2007.

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Message in its most general meaning is an object of communication. It is something which provides information; it can also be this information itself. Therefore, its meaning is dependent upon the context in which it is used; the term may apply to both the information and its form.
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As the term is used in mainstream cognitive science and philosophy of mind, a concept is an abstract idea or a mental symbol, typically associated with a corresponding representation in and language or symbology.
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An explanation is a statement which points to causes, , and consequences of some object, process, state of affairs, etc., together with rules or laws that link these to the object. Some of these of the explanation may be implicit.
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A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry and is certified in treating mental illness.[1] As part of their evaluation of the patient, psychiatrists are one of only a few mental health professionals who may prescribe psychiatric medication, conduct
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Anxiety is a physiological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components (Seligman, Walker & Rosenhan, 2001). These components combine to create the feelings that we typically recognize as fear, apprehension, or worry.
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Advice may refer to:
  • Advice (opinion), an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action, conduct.
  • Advice (constitutional), in constitutional law, a frequently binding instruction issued to a constitutional office-holder

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This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims.
Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details.
This article has been tagged since September 2007.

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    Rhetoric (from Greek ῥήτωρ, rhêtôr, orator, teacher) is generally understood to be the art or technique of persuasion through the use of oral, visual, or written language; however, this definition of rhetoric
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    Only a valid argument with true premises must have a true conclusion.
    The validity of an argument depends on its form, not on the truth or falsity of its premises and conclusions. Logic seeks to discover the forms of valid arguments.
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    See Language (journal) for the linguistics journal.


    A language is a system of symbols and the rules used to manipulate them. Language can also refer to the use of such systems as a general phenomenon.
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    A definition is a statement of the meaning of a term, word or phrase. The term to be defined is known as the definiendum (Latin: that which is to be defined).
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    Abstraction is the process of generalization by reducing the information content of a concept or an observable phenomenon, typically in order to retain only information which is relevant for a particular purpose.
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    In animals, the brain or encephalon (Greek for "in the skull"), is the control center of the central nervous system, responsible for behavior. The brain is located in the head, protected by the skull and close to the primary sensory apparatus of vision, hearing,
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    In logic, a rule of inference is a function from sets of formulae to formulae. The argument is called the premise set (or simply premises) and the value the conclusion.
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    Thomas Alva Edison (February 11 1847 – October 18 1931) was an American inventor and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph and a long lasting light bulb.
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    Operation may refer to:
    • Scientific Operation.
    • Surgery operation.
    • An operation or operator in mathematics. See unary operation, binary operation, arity.

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    Behaviorism (also called learning perspective) is a philosophy of psychology based on the proposition that all things which organisms do — including acting, thinking and feeling—can and should be regarded as behaviors.
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    Swahili (also called Kiswahili; see below for derivation) is a Bantu language. It is the most widely spoken language of sub-Saharan Africa. Although only 5-10 million people speak it as their native language[1]
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    The Chinese Room argument is a thought experiment and associated arguments designed by John Searle (1980 [1] ) as a counterargument to claims made by supporters of what Searle called strong artificial intelligence (see also functionalism).
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    Socionics (Russian: соционика) is a model of personality based on Carl Jung's work on Psychological Types
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    Cognition is a diffuse term, used in different ways by different disciplines. In psychology, it refers to an information processing view of an individual's psychological functions.
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    The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality questionnaire designed to identify certain psychological differences according to the typological theories of Carl Gustav Jung as published in his 1921 book Psychological Types (English edition, 1923).
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    Thought or thinking is a mental process which allows beings to model the world, and so to deal with it effectively according to their goals, plans, ends and desires.
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    Black box is a technical term for a device or system or object when it is viewed primarily in terms of its input and output characteristics. Almost anything might occasionally be referred to as a black box: a transistor, an algorithm, humans, the Internet.
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    INTP (Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving) is one of the sixteen personality types found in a number of psychological typology systems based on C.G. Jung's theories of psychology.
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    Introverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving (ISTP) is one of the sixteen personality types of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter.

    Referring to Keirsey, ISTPs belong to the Artisan temperament and are called "Crafters"..
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    ESTP (Extroverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving) is one of the sixteen personality types from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter.

    Referring to Keirsey, ESTPs belong to the Artisan temperament and are called "Promoters".
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