Nov 11, 2022
Learn to Understand
Swallow the juice from the consumed information and then spit the information out.
An acquaintance of mine is a well-informed person. So well-informed that the other day, when I started a conversation with him to share my idea and hear his opinion on the differences between cultural and political power, he narrated the entire human history!
I (im)patiently waited for him to come to any of the relevant keywords: culture, politics, power — but no, he merely went on and on about the things he had learnt about human history.
I am a self-critical person, so I first questioned my own ability to understand his point, but at one point, when I interrupted him and reminded him of the topic I was trying to discuss, he was taken aback. That’s when I understood that he had no point.
‘Yes, Culture is important,’ he started and went on to say, ‘the Persians used to drink strong wine,’ something like this.
I then understood the deal: While he was a well-informed guy, he wasn’t understanding what I wanted to discuss.
Perhaps, he didn’t want to discuss or he didn’t possess the ability to understand what he had learnt?! Perhaps, he was bored. Or, he was merely a possessor of facts and information. Whether he does that for entertainment, passion or whether he is an information-geek or is it information-greed, I am sure about as of yet.
When I read an article about ‘Soft Power’ in Wikipedia, I expect it to show me all the facts available about it, I also expect a proper categorization of the sub topics, BUT I do not expect to have a conversation with the wikipedia system because I don’t think Wikipedia understands ‘Soft Power’ although it is well-informed about it.
This is the same perception I had towards that acquaintance of mine. I questioned myself if he was a mere information system. I questioned whether HE was the future of humanity: very well informed but a very poor understander! With all this information at our disposal and so little time, we might be being lured into consumption without an end.
I don’t say I am a great understander, but I do understand. The proof is that I am understanding this situation. But when I meet people and discuss things, I don’t see many who grasp that essential something that makes up learning. They seem to be enjoying their ride along the information-highway without wanting to stop for a moment to understand what their ride is teaching them.
Maybe they don’t ride to learn, but I do.
I won’t say they are wrong. It’s just that I find them different from me because I observe a deep desire to understand when I learn anything. This begs me to arrange and organize the things I learn. I suffer a lot at times when I am unable to process the things I have learnt. I then leave everything and try to derive something out of it — not because I am wise, but because I am helpless. Otherwise, the information-agony is too much!
We’ve got information-devices to store such information, I think. I don’t think anyone in today’s time will be considered a hero based on the things he/she is informed about. One, because almost everyone is informed and everyone can be informed. More importantly, because our devices know more than we do. I have nothing to say for those whose entertainment and passion it is to be informed. But for those who like to learn, this is a great opportunity:
