Thread by @visakanv

people often expect someone who understands something to be able to explain it, but the understanding of something sometimes eludes explanation

this is an issue with the bandwidth of communication, and consciousness, but it does not necessarily imply a lack of understanding

of course, this is not of much consolation to the person who understands a thing, but is unable to communicate their understanding to others, and is consequently assumed not to understand the thing

but you CAN *demonstrate* your understanding. (Assuming you do understand it.)

but demonstrations can take a long time, and they can be ignored by people who don’t know what they’re looking at, so there are layers and layers to this

what I wanted to talk about though actually is how it feels to understand something you can’t quite yet convey in words

all things are networks of relationships, and any understanding of any thing is an appreciation of those relationships.

(Nobody can have a *perfect* understanding of all the relationships in and around a thing, so all understandings are approximate the way all models are wrong)

the way I’ve felt it — I can tell I’m probably beginning to understand something when the network of relationships around it are beginning to behave in ways that I find predictable. it feels like I’m surfing on a wave, but the wave and I are one, in simpatico

so then it’s like whoa, I can surf the wave!! I could tell when it was going to swell and surge, I felt it in my gut almost before it happened

but then if you ask me “damn how did you surf that wave?” – I now have to start *thinking* and using *words* and it’s all approximations

A tragic thing is when a person who has a felt understanding of something is persuaded that their intellectual-verbal understanding of it must take precedence. This can be a kind of corruption, an arrogant override, a destruction of richness and nuance into rigid bureaucracy

which isn’t to say that approximations can’t sometimes be thrillingly potent – sometimes a model of a wave, or even a mere off-hand description of it – can help something click and make sense with rippling cascades of clarity. But it’s tricky stuff!! you gotta be careful

humility is not about pretending you’re less capable than you are

it’s about appreciating that you could be the most capable person in the world and you will *still* get things wrong, bc of the nature of complexity

smart money prices in humility into capability

we know more than we can say

we feel more than we can know

and the world is more than we can feel

humility then is not a “posture” or some supercilious manner, it is the only sane response to being an ant on a leaf out in the middle of a unfathomable cosmic ocean

but what do I know, lol. I’m just some guy tapping at symbols on a screen trying to capture the fleeting sense of a passing feeling

it’s a futile attempt, like all attempts at anything, and nevertheless at some level it feels right to do it, and I trust my feelings

I cannot help you understand anything with your thinky talky brain,,, that you do not FEEL [slaps chest] in your heart!!!

Can…👋🏾 you… 👋🏾 feel…👋🏾 the… 👋🏾 love…👋🏾 tonight…

“you have veered into nonsense” GOOD