Your Understanding

[SalixIncendium]

I was reading a thread, and in one of the replies, someone said, "Here is my understanding." Rather than explaining their understanding in their own words, they simply posted a link to a website after that statement.

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

 

[Terry Sampson]

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview.

1. Is your understanding something you were told?
   
2. Something you read?
3. Based on personal experience?

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes

 

[Secret Chief]

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes

This.

 

[chinu]

I was reading a thread, and in one of the replies, someone said, "Here is my understanding." Rather than explaining their understanding in their own words, they simply posted a link to a website after that statement.

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

Yes, Always

 

[stvdv]

I was reading a thread, and in one of the replies, someone said, "Here is my understanding." Rather than explaining their understanding in their own words, they simply posted a link to a website after that statement.

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

It is not "only something you read".
Because if 2 people read the same, they interpret it differently

When you are born, you know very little
Everything you gain afterwards is due to reading or being told or personal experience

 

[Sirona]

IMHO, there are few things you can embrace or reject absolutely. Often, there‘s one part about an issue that you agree with, and another part you like not so much. Geniune understanding requires that you come to a nuanced, personal answer.

That said, there are many groups out there, especially religious and political ones, which promote groupthink and a “collective identity”. They don’t want individualist, thinking members because thinking members mean trouble. Repeating slogans in the style of “Strength though community” spares thinking and feels comfortable especially when the other group members do the same. However, nodody likes to be spelt out for that they may be in a process of indoctrination, so everybody’s proud having found “their individual opinion” even if its standardized content to be believed by every other member of the group without the possibility of interpretation. I think in the end it boils down to how we deal with authority, as standardized content is often promoted to be authoritative, together with those who issue it.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

I was reading a thread, and in one of the replies, someone said, "Here is my understanding." Rather than explaining their understanding in their own words, they simply posted a link to a website after that statement.

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

It was something, I was told and have read.

So here it is a German culture for being as a soldier and that includes being a grunt.
- Any sufficient complex plan will break down when it meets the rest of reality, for which if you are lucky and survive that, you still act, don't react and learn from it afterwards.
- Any given order is supposed to be not accepted on face value, but should by checked by any one involved in the order and problems in how to carry out the order should be said aloud.

In other words, even for soldiers, it has been found that it help if they are taught to understand what is going on and individually think along.
So I was ordered to learn to not just obey an order even within a chain of command, but to think for myself for what is going on.

Now that is not unique to being a soldier; science and democracy in effect require the same. And even some religions in effect also do it.
So it is to me always in part a question if any plan, model, order, proposal, claim or what not allow for this; or if it is in effect a claim of Objective Authority, however that is justified.
Further since I am "crazy", I have been taught to check my own thinking and emotions, so I don't do "crazy" things.

Regards
Mikkel

 

[Vinayaka]

I was reading a thread, and in one of the replies, someone said, "Here is my understanding." Rather than explaining their understanding in their own words, they simply posted a link to a website after that statement.

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

It took a long time, but personal experiences and introspection were the main sources.

As to your example, it reminds me of an essay test. It's no different than plagiarism if you just provide a link. Essays are meant to be a way of demonstrating a lot of knowledge in your own words. Back when I studied to become a Hindu, my sampradaya's main course was just a series of essays. One question, an essay, and encouragement to provide a story from your life that supported your answer. Before the internet days ... snail mail. So there would be several 'back and forths' with the teacher.

I truly appreciate any and all who can put it in their own words, regardless of their belief.

 

[Heyo]

Is your understanding something you were told?
Something you read?
Based on personal experience?

No, no and no.
My understanding of most things is based on the information given, either by some media or by personal experience. But that alone is not understanding. Understanding comes when I have grasped the rules and circumstances of the thing in question.
I could present that understanding in my own words and I can answers questions about it.
As of presenting it in my own words, sometimes someone has already said it and said it better than I ever could. That's when I give you a link.
(I may have thought I have understood it but didn't. Feel free to ask questions, that's how you know. But that is independent whether I did write the explanation myself or "plagiarized" it.)

 

[ChristineM]

I was reading a thread, and in one of the replies, someone said, "Here is my understanding." Rather than explaining their understanding in their own words, they simply posted a link to a website after that statement.

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

Is your understanding something you were told? To an extent, much of our understanding is influenced by being taught by parents, teachers, peers etc

Something you read? To an extent, certainly in my case reading has influenced my understanding of some ideas, subjects, concepts etc

Based on personal experience? To an extent, experience always tempers a persons understanding.

Grouped together along with personally thinking things through you have understanding in a nutshell (i think)

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I was reading a thread, and in one of the replies, someone said, "Here is my understanding." Rather than explaining their understanding in their own words, they simply posted a link to a website after that statement.

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

I put more emphasis on personal experience. I question what I read by looking at different perspectives. I question what I'm told in general. I like reading about people's personal experiences of things I care about and have experienced myself. Personal experiences tend to stick with people more. The thing is, do we question it without confirmed biases. What's the use of questioning if one would only accept an answer(s) congruent with their belief systems etc.

So, it's a combination of things, I guess.

 

[Mock Turtle]

I was reading a thread, and in one of the replies, someone said, "Here is my understanding." Rather than explaining their understanding in their own words, they simply posted a link to a website after that statement.

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

I think it is more about assembling the jigsaw, or pushing the envelope (aeronautical sense), in that all we take in as information (from wherever) or process as experiences, then that will tend to form our understanding and perhaps beliefs concerning the world. I couldn't really say where my worldview comes from - and it is changing all the time as new information comes to light - but I hope it is as balanced as I can make it. Concentrating in one particular area, in my view, is less likely for us to have a rounded worldview, and unfortunately many religious beliefs tend to fall into this trap - that is, that the only or essential truths come from some particular religious text.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I was reading a thread, and in one of the replies, someone said, "Here is my understanding." Rather than explaining their understanding in their own words, they simply posted a link to a website after that statement.

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

"Being told" is an experience.
"Reading" is an experience.
Living life is an experience.
Thinking about what I've been told, what I've read, and what else I've experienced (through observation, and what I've done) results in my worldview. Being told and reading allow me to consider possibilities that might I might not have experienced otherwise, and might not otherwise have thought of.

 

[Nakosis]

I was reading a thread, and in one of the replies, someone said, "Here is my understanding." Rather than explaining their understanding in their own words, they simply posted a link to a website after that statement.

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

My "worldview" is what I've found to work for me. Of course, there are a lot of ideas/thoughts from others I've heard/read. Some of these ideas I've found to work, some don't. Also, through having made a lot of mistakes, I've learned some ideas to avoid.

As I see it, our subconscious mind is part of who we are. "It", thinks faster, has better memory. The role of the conscious self is to provide limits/correction like a governor, which is a very small mechanical device on an engine. Most of the time "I" just try to stay out of the way and let the subconscious mind do all of the heavy lifting. I am more or less an observer which keeps the engine from running off the cliff at full speed.

If I know a subject well, I usually can leave it to my subconscious mind to deal with. When I give speeches, train folks, write, it is mostly not a conscious process. So my understanding comes from every experience I've ever had and from everything I've ever read. Of course it(I'm) not always right, but when I am wrong, I'm am consciously here to provide correction.

Sometimes it takes a while for the subconscious mind to correct its course but over time, the need for conscious correction gets less and less.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I was reading a thread, and in one of the replies, someone said, "Here is my understanding." Rather than explaining their understanding in their own words, they simply posted a link to a website after that statement.

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

When i answer a OP with "in my understanding " This understanding comes from years of study the spiritual teaching, but it is important to say in my understanding because it show that my answer may not contain the highest truth that can be found, and my answer could be wrong.
But it state my current understanding of the topic discussed

 

[sun rise]

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

Since this is in a religious area, I'll not go into my political views

Yes, starting with personal experience I realized that there was more to life than mere material existence. I wish I could go into more detail but the rules constrain me. So superficially experience led to hearing and reading and visiting centers that attracted me run by a Zen teacher (Philip Kaplau) and Tibetan (Trungpa). I also delved deeply into the books and pamphlets of Meher Baba.

But the biggest path to my understanding was deep deep questioning and reflection. How could Meher Baba claim to be God in human form? Could that be true? Does his life manifest that claim? What impact did his life have on his close disciples? All this and more went into the deep forge of my search.

In the end my answer to your questions is internal search for truth as well as personal experience forged my perspective.

 

[Vee]

I was reading a thread, and in one of the replies, someone said, "Here is my understanding." Rather than explaining their understanding in their own words, they simply posted a link to a website after that statement.

Which led me to wonder how you've arrived at your own personal understanding with regard to your worldview. Is your understanding something you were told? Something you read? Based on personal experience?

I like to listen to everyone and then do my own research and draw my own conclusions, which might not always be right but at least they have a logic, it's not just because this or that person said so.

 

[PureX]

I am always a bit stunned when I posit an idea or opinion of mine on some subject or other and someone asks me; "by what authority have you arrived at this opinion?" This happened to me on a thread, here, just the other day. And I find the question so bizarre that I'm a bit at a loss as to how to answer it properly.

This person apparently believes that we must have some sort of externalized "authority" backing our personal observations, opinions, and ideas for them to be worthy of social expression! This is such an alien idea to me that I'm flummoxed by it. I am one of those people who grew up questioning, doubting, and defying 'authorities'. The idea that I would or should cede my right to form my own ideas and opinions about things to some external "authority" is simply inconceivable to me. And the idea that I should keep my ideas and opinions to myself because that's "all they are" is equally inconceivable.

Yet I know there are folks out that there do believe this, and I do run into them, occasionally. So the conditions being alluded to by those questions in the OP of this thread are not totally without relation and example.