Definitions HQ

Understanding (n.) what ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠matters is hard not for the intellect but for the will: what is most obvious may be hardest to understand, because it opposes what people want to see.

Understanding (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠musical phrase is not found by looking inside yourself; ask instead what makes you say someone else understands it.

Understanding (n.) music ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is no specific inner content; it shows in how one listens, plays, hums and talks, with a different facial expression.

Understanding (n.) seems ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠to set in suddenly, a clearly outlined 'Now I can go on', though a great many different things might have happened at that moment.

Understanding (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠show itself as nothing more than a slight, quick intake of breath — a slight start — on looking at 2, 4, 6, 8.

Understanding (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠table in a particular way, whatever process we imagine it to be, is only another link interposed between looking up the rule and the actual transcription.

Understanding (n.) before ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠obeying is an intermediary step the word's grammar suggests, though it never takes place.

Understanding (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠word like "red" may involve no intermediary 'seeing what's in common' at all; then carrying out the order is the criterion for having understood.

Understanding (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠pointing gesture means the same as reacting to it, even for the man who looks from hand to shoulder instead of from shoulder to hand.

Understanding (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠list of words shows a multitude of characteristic experiences — "Of course", a vague memory, a man who always said "gadget" — but not any one experience of understanding.

Understanding (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠word like 'tree', examined in the moment, may turn up a homely feeling that belongs only to philosophizing about understanding.

Understanding (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠word refers not to what happens while we say or hear it but to the whole environment of the event — as two people who move in different circles may walk the same street.

Understanding (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠face may be finding the word that seems to sum it up — the verbal counterpoint of the theme.

Understanding (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠sentence is much more like understanding a tune than we think: not pointing to a reality outside it but getting hold of its content, and the content is in the sentence.

Understanding (n.) which ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠game you mean to play is proved to yourself by starting to move the pieces by its rules.

Understanding (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠decoded telegram is only replacing one kind of symbols by another — yet once it's in your own language, no further interpretation takes place.

Understanding (n.) how ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠to go on with an interrupted tune need not mean the rest was present; to think so confuses a gramophone record with the tune.

Understanding (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠word in a flash is an expression born of crossed similes; we have no model of this superlative fact, only a super-expression.

Understanding (n.) a ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠mathematical proposition means being able to apply it — not being deceived by its verbal form about where its application lies.

Understanding (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a vague concept; if it were only a psychical process, why would it interest us so much?