The Word Is "experience":

Definitions can point to meaning and lead to understanding 

                Synonyms for the earliest usage "experience" include: attempt, trial, try, and test. It looks like each of these synonyms is about the purposeful action of a learner. Each seems to be about a person initiating a process. The action continues with an intention in mine.

                    Each of these early synonyms may be seen as a name for the type of process initiated. An attempt an intention to try something tempting. A trial could begin with the intention to try try something that might test the limits of one's ability or capacity. A try could be an intent to separate or sift some ideas, materials, or abilities to better understand that particular set of things, capacities, or ideas. A test could be the intent to simplify or purify something to better understand it.

                    So a happening isn't much of an experience unless we are paying attention to it and giving it some thought.

                    From its beginnings "experience" has been about learning, about finding out for oneself, checking it out, about awareness with hope of understanding.

                    My red dictionary first defines "experience" as apprehension or perception of an object, thought, emotion, or event through the senses or the mind. So a happening in our life may not be an experience until we have identified it and thought about it. The definition that I am looking at now says that the way to experience is through the mind or through the senses. I find that interesting. Mor directly it says that apprehension and perception are through the senses or the mind. I wonder how one might perceive or apprehend without the mind.

                    The compilers of my red dictionary believed that we can experience in our minds without concurrent uses of our senses. That seems right. But could not experience be sensual without conscious awareness. Could our body possible learn from an experience that did not reach the conscious mind? Sometimes it is difficult to draw an exact line between doings or happenings.

                    We have a lot to learn about the mind. We can learn more of value about learning. We may be called on to relearn where to buy good ice-cream. 

                    The same red dictionary also calls experience, active participation in events or activities leading to the accumulation of knowledge or skill. That sounds right to me. I do notice that wisdom is not mentioned. I suspect that our awareness must be engaged during "the active participation" mentioned.

                    My blue dictionary calls experience "the usually conscious perception or apprehension of reality of an external, a bodily, or psychic event." Reality seems to be important here. I may have to check the definitions of "perception" and "apprehension" to see if they are mutually exclusive. A psychic event is a mental happening. It is beginning to look as though experience is really a big deal.

                    Experience may be necessary to learning and not just helpful! It also seems that we can get some experience just by thinking! There seems to be a difference between an experience and a learning event, but I am not very sure of the nature of that diference. I seem to remember hearing someone say that "learning entails movement and experience entails action," but that does not help me. Could an experience and a learning event be the same happening? Could any learning event be an experience? Doesn't it appear that an experience, or a learning event can both include one's thought and that perhaps it must?

                    Can perception and apprehension get us from sensing to approaching reality? Could they also lead us astray? Luckily we can compare one experience with other experiences.

                    My Dictionaries and the internet all refer to perception and apprehension in  their definitions of experience. In psychology, education and elsewhere there are books devoted to each of these terms. It sometimes seems difficult to keep things simple. Let me try for a simple understanding that retains much of its power. We might call both perception and apprehension both ''a taking a hold of an event" or as "taking a snapshot of a process." This makes both terms the noting and registering of a sight, sound or other sensing How about as describing the progression of a process? I give up the idea of simplicity for now, but I have been giving these two words and their relationship some consideration. It would be nice to say I have seen the reality, the whole reality, and nothing but the reality. 

                    I do suspect that you now have a better understanding of  "experience" than you may believe.

                    My blue dictionary also simply calls "experience" "direct participation in events." The quality of that participation including your awareness of seems important.

                    A synonym for "apprehend" is "understand." As that is true, it is also true that to truly experience we need an understanding of that which is going on or has happened. So, to experience, and hopefully to really learn, we need to consciously in the doing and happening, note some of the sequence or order of action, and to remember some of that order or sequence related to that event or sequence of events. We probably ought to have the intent to discover pattern, order, and sequence.

                    We are better able to approach truth and reality with our mind than with our eyes. When you get dizzy consider relaxing for a while. 

                    We may say that we are experiencing while we are acting on our intention to actively and consciously participate in a happening or doing and allowing ourselves to understand that which is occurring. Experience be a beginning to learning and a way to meaning and knowledge. We may also say that our understanding is growing as we observe similar patterns in similar events.

                    Our experience can be our powerful teacher. It is an activity we best do in active awareness. It can be a process which we consciously carry out. We participate in the action and note its pattern or order.

                    Oh! Its fair to learn from the experience of another. In doing so you may be helped by your realistic imagination.

                    Observation, and its quality, is a powerful aid to the quality of your experience. Good philosophers and scientists tell us that observation is an important part of the participation needed in gaining powerful experience.

                    We can learn to be appropriately relaxed in our experiencing. There are degrees of participation, degrees of awareness, degrees of understanding and we do not always benefit from being fully engaged. A relaxed experience can be a very good one. 

                    Experiencing is a process. We can get some useful understanding  by standing under the bull. We might learn more of bovine sex from our observation of a field of cattle. Still we can learn while standing under the bull. And if it is a cow we stand under, that's no bull. Even so such standing may be more like taking a snapshot than it is like filming a process. Observing the process is often the more useful experience.

                    Observation is an excellent first step, but often the better part of an experience takes place in our mind. We benefit much by thinking over that which we have observed. We can reach out with our senses and our mobility, but our grasp on learning, understanding, and knowing is mental, psychic. Think it over can move us closer to the power of reality.

                    Has reading this been an experience? 

                    Thank you for reading and congratulations!       

             

                                                                                                        rcs  

The Word Is "knowledge"

 There is know in knowledge

                It seems likely that there is knowledge in know. "Know" is of the same family as is as "can" and ''ken;' and from its latin form we get ''cognition'' and "note." It has similar forms in most Indo-European languages. Wonder of wonders!

                    "Cognizance" has been a common synonym for "knowledge."

                    The condition of knowing through familiarity gained by experience is a useful definition of knowledge; as is the understanding of a science, an art, or technique.

                    Other meanings include: the range of one's understanding or information; awareness of certain doings, happenings; or processes; apprehending truth or fact; and the condition of having information or being learned.

                    Your knowledge is the stuff that you know. It can be specific information.

                    When one is knowledgeable, one may be said to be erudite.

                    An old time usage was "sexual intrcoures or comunion."

Wisdom:

                    "Wisdom" is much like "knowledge," but may imply a deeper or higher understanding than does knowledge. Knowledge can be imparted, but wisdom most often cannot.

                    The core meaning of knowledge is ''that which is known,'' which may refer to only that with which one is acquainted, while wisdom includes examinde experience which implies more understanding.

                    So, for example, one can gain a lot of useful information and knowledge from university and one's friends, while wisdom comes from reconsidered learning or experience.

                Now you have two for one! Now you have both knowledge and wisdom. That's two for the price of one.

                    Thank you for the visit.

                                                                                                rcs

Powerful Doings at Our Fingertips.

Understandings of very useful doings are available to us. Lots of research and communication are yet to be done. It seems likely that we can be able do that which our forbearers have done. Archaeologist and Physicists are pointing the way and much is available in our history. 

                We are becoming more aware of how we are able to manipulate states of matter and to use a sort of antigravity to move objects from place to place. We have a lot to learn and have the ability to do so. To use our abilities we need to practice more co-operation and more organized co-operation. We need more of use co-operating to safely use our new abilities.

The word is "learn"

 A True Vocabulary Is Good For You

                    Learning carries our culture into the future. We are humans, you are too. Learning is a good way for humans to support their own survival, yours too. Teachers are important and we are often our own best teachers. We learn from observed experience, our own and that of others. Pay attention to yourself and you can see that learning happening. We tell each other that experience is the best teacher, but often forget that experience must be observed for that learning to occur.

                        We learn from an experience of ours when we attend to it, reflect upon it. Observation is also a good word to be more aware of. Does it not seem that "to observe" is very similar to "to attend to."  I hope that is not one to, too many.

                        Our own learning can lead us to a life which is more meaningful, understandable, and understood too.

                    So, "learn" has much to do with gaining experience by paying attention. Keeping one's mind open to reality helps. One can track or follow a trace to gain experience. And it is fair to gain experience from another. Much of the the experience of others is in our history and culture. Important bits of culture and learning can come from family a friends and is best when checked against our own experience and understanding. 

                        "Learning" is related to "knowledge" and "lore."

                        A dictionary can correctly tell you that to learn is to gain knowledge and understanding by study, instruction, and experience. Study includes analysis, interpretation, and experience.

                        "To Ascertain" and "to find out" are very similar to "to learn" in meaning.               

                        A nice short definition for "learn'' is to gain knowledge, comprehension, or mastery, through study and experience. We can learn much about a man by following his tracks. We can learn much about ourselves by retracing our own tracks.

                        Many of us have learned that we have too often learned incorrectly; too often learned to believed was so, was not so. We may have learned from lies. We may have learned from distorted or faulty observations. We have learned that unlearning was often more difficult than earning. Our analysis of our own past learning may be very important. We have learned that important parts o f our past learning needs to be reinterpreted in the light of new information. We finally learned that such reinterpretation was an ongoing activity.

                        Memorizing can be an important part of learning, but understanding is the better part.

                        One ma become erudite through observation and reflection. That's learning. Reflection is like looking it over again and rethinkinking it. That is learning. Learning can be the acquisition of wisdom when we continue to analyze our observations. To be called learned (two syllables) has been considered an nice compliment, to be called understanding can be a better one.

                        Taking a good look at that which you can really do and that which you really know can be a useful learning experience. Paying attention to your observations can too.

                                                                                            rcs

           

We Have a Lot to Learn

Earth Water

                There is a lot that we can learn about taking care  of ourselves. A first step of our learning as a we is the politics of co-operation. A close second step is understanding the nature of our home. When we keep our senses and our minds open our learning seems automatic and effortless. So, we do not have to encourage ourselves to learn anything. However, co-operating with our learning process has paid large dividends. Another important learning is a better understanding of the words we use in communicating with one another and in our personal thoughts. This piece is about how our understanding of our home develops.

                                                                                                                    rcs

I Like the Geometry

I kind of understand how quantum mechanics is understood and I am beginning to see its predictive value, but I have kind of lost my grip on reality.                        rcs

Science Intro

 Science Intro: A Way of Knowing

 

            Science is the practice of a method of understanding and communication. It may be called the scientific method. This method can be a great help in self-development and in being a successful human being.

            As you become better acquainted with this method of understanding you can become a more effective person. You will also develop a better understanding of the sciences in general and in each individual science, even ytterbiumology.

            The scientific method generally includes the following doings: observation, identification/recognition, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural phenomena. So, a scientist observes a doing or happening and begins to "explain" it. The method is much about how she does ir. That is, how you do it may be more important than what you do.

            To be well started, let's define some of our terms. We can begin with the word 'science.' At the beginning we see that science simply means 'knowledge', the business of knowing. Just how one knows is a serious subject. A subject we could check into later. Early in its history science became knowledge gained by 'study' and then quickly came to be the study of particular and specific subjects. Like us, science carries most of its history into the present. In its more modern meaning it has come to mean the technical and mathematical study of a subject. However, the basic method of doing science is both a simpler and more powerful attitude then one might suppose. 

            We already know that 'method' means 'the way how.' So, science is a particular way of understanding, a particularly effective way of understanding. 

            It may be useful to remember that the suffix -ology means study. So, for example, anthropology is the study of the human species, of humanity in most of its aspects. It has often been a comparative study of behavior, biology, and societies. Whereas biology is the natural scientific study of life  and living organisms. It is one of the more nicely developed sciences. Cells and genes are now important aspects of this study.

            It is important that a person interested in science have an understanding of the nature of scientific: observation, identification, explanation, researching, theoretical description and the like. Also developing their ability to recognize and observe natural phenomena is an aid to their use of scientific methodology.

            So, to gain scientific knowledge and to communicate is useful to understand concepts of the method and its vocabulary. When interests is shown I hope to be able write more on the methods of science. I believe that you already have an understanding of the scientific method as a way many have found useful for gaining practical, productive knowledge and for communicating that knowledge.

            You probably already have the understanding that science is well begun and carried out with studied and practiced observation. The ways of scientific observation are important to the development of knowledge. My dictionary has this to say about 'to observe:' to notice, to perceive, to watch attentively, to make a systematic or scientific observation. "Systematic." That implies that there is a system which can be learned. It seems that the way of a scientific doing is, at least, as important as the what.

            Observation is the act of observing; that is, the act of noting and recording of a phenomena, doing, or happening, perhaps with instruments. Observation might lead to  developing a judgement or inference. What are the methods for developing a judgement or inference!

            "Identify" could be our next term to examine. If you would like me to continue some sort of exposition of science, please leave a comment to that effect in the "comment" window below. 

            Identifying a phenomena is, in large part, for the purpose of being able to recognize the phenomena yourself and to enable others to also recognize it. There is more to say about the recognizing/identifying part of our scientific process, but i will leave that for another time.

            Oh, yes. Ytterbiumology is beyond my present knowledge, still it can be studied and known. Its a chemical element with the symbol Yb and atomic number 70. I may not live long enough to get deeply into the study of this element. Perhaps you can tell us more about it.

            Thanks for reading.

 

 

                                                                                                  RCS

                                                

A Method of Undstanding and Way to Knowledge

RCS Posts Science including: phenomena, inference, observation, and method

 

                Science is the practice of a method of understanding and of communication. It may be called the scientific method. This method can be a great help in self-development and in being a successful human being.

                As you become better acquainted with this method of understanding you become a more effective person. You will also develop a better understanding of the sciences in general and of each individual science, even ytterbiumology.

                The scientific method generally includes the following doings: observation, identification/recognition, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural phenomena. So, a scientist observes a doing or happening and begins to explain it. The method is much about how she does this. That is, how you do it may be more important than what you do.

                To start well, lets try to define some of our terms. We can begin with the word 'science.' Starting at the beginning we see that science means knowledge, the business of knowing. Just how one knows is a serious subject. A subject we could check into later. Early in its history science became knowledge gained  by study. Science brings its history with it. It still means knowledge and it still means knowledge gained by study. The science quickly came to be the study of particular and specific subjects. In its more modern meaning it has come to mean the technical and mathematical study  of a subject. However the basic method of doing science is both a simpler and more powerful attitude then one might suppose.

                We already know that "method" means "the way how." So, science is a particular way of understanding, a particularly effective way of understanding. It may be useful to remember that the suffix -ology means study. So, anthropology is the study of human species, of humanity in most of its aspects. It has often been a comparative study of behavior, biology, societies. Whereas biology is the natural scientific study of life and of living organisms. It is one of the more nicely developed sciences. Cells and genes are now important factors in this study.

                It is important that a person interested in science develop a good grasp on the nature of scientific: observation, identification, explanation, knowing, researching,  and theoretical description. Also to develop their ability to recognize and observe natural phenomena is helpful to their use of scientific methodology.

                To gain and to communicate scientific knowledge one needs to become familiar with its concepts and vocabulary. As interest is shown, I hope to write more on the topic. I believe that you already have an understanding of the scientific method as a way many have found useful for gaining practical, productive knowledge and of communicating that knowledge.

                You probably already have the understanding that science is well begun and carried out with studied and practiced observation. 

                The ways of scientific observation are important to the development of knowledge. My dictionary says this about "to observe:" to notice, to perceive, to watch attentively, to make a scientific or systematic observation. "Systematic," that implies that there is a system to be learned. It seems that the way of a scientific doing is, at least, as the what.

                Observation is the act of observing; that is the act of noting and recording of a phenomena, doing, or happening, perhaps with instruments. Observation might lead to developing a judgement or inference. What are the methods for developing a judgement or an inference!

                "Identify" could be our next term to examine. If you would like me to continue some sort of exposition of science, please leave a comment to that effect in the "comment" window below.

                Identifying a phenomena is, in large part, for the purpose of being able to recognize the phenomena yourself and to enable others to also recognize it. There is more to say about the recognize/identify part of of our scientific process,  but I will leave it for another time.

                Oh, yes. Ytterbiumology is beyond my present knowledge; still it can be studied, known, and used. Its a chemical element with the symbol Yb and atomic number of 70. I may not live long enough to get deeply into the study of this element. Perhaps you can tell us more about it.

RCS

Science: An Introduction

  RCS Posts science: An introduction. Science as a method of communication and for gaining understanding and knowledge.              

                Science is the practice of a method of understanding and of communication. It may be called the scientific method. This method can be a great help in self-development and in being a successful human being.

                As you become better acquainted with this method of understanding you become a more effective person. You will also develop a better understanding of the sciences in general and of each individual science, even ytterbiumology.

                The scientific method generally includes the following doings: observation, identification/recognition, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural phenomena. So, a scientist observes a doing or happening and begins to explain it. The method is much about how she does this. That is, how you do it may be more important than what you do.

                To start well, lets try to define some of our terms. We can begin with the word 'science.' Starting at the beginning we see that science means knowledge, the business of knowing. Just how one knows is a serious subject. A subject we could check into later. Early in its history science became knowledge gained  by study. Science brings its history with it. It still means knowledge and it still means knowledge gained by study. The science quickly came to be the study of particular and specific subjects. In its more modern meaning it has come to mean the technical and mathematical study  of a subject. However the basic method of doing science is both a simpler and more powerful attitude then one might suppose.

                We already know that "method" means "the way how." So, science is a particular way of understanding, a particularly effective way of understanding. It may be useful to remember that the suffix -ology means study. So anthropology is the study of human species, of humanity in most of its aspects. It has often been a comparative study of behavior, biology, societies. Whereas biology is the natural scientific study of life and of living organisms. It is one of the more nicely developed sciences. Cells and genes are now important factors in this study.

                It is important that a person interested in science develop a good grasp on the nature of scientific: observation, identification, explanation, knowing, researching,  and theoretical description. Also to develop their ability to recognize and observe natural phenomena is helpful to their use of scientific methodology.

                To gain and to communicate scientific knowledge one needs to become familiar with its concepts and vocabulary. As interest is shown, I hope to write more on the topic. I believe that you already have an understanding of the scientific method as a way many have found useful for gaining practical, productive knowledge and of communicating that knowledge.

                You probably already have the understanding that science is well begun and carried out with studied and practiced observation. 

                The ways of scientific observation are important to the development of knowledge. My dictionary says this about "to observe:" to notice, to perceive, to watch attentively, to make a scientific or systematic observation. "Systematic," that implies that there is a system to be learned. It seems that the way of a scientific doing is, at least, as the what.

                Observation is the act of observing; that is the act of noting and recording of a phenomena, doing, or happening, perhaps with instruments. Observation might lead to developing a judgement or inference. What are the methods for developing a judgement or an inference!

                "Identify" could be our next term to examine. If you would like me to continue some sort of exposition of science, please leave a comment to that effect in the "comment" window below.

                Identifying a phenomena is, in large part, for the purpose of being able to recognize the phenomena yourself and to enable others to also recognize it. There is more to say about the recognize/identify part of of our scientific process,  but I will leave it for another time.

                Oh, yes. Ytterbiumology is beyond my present knowledge; still it can be studied, known, and used. Its a chemical element with the symbol Yb and atomic number of 70. I may not live long enough to get deeply into the study of this element. Perhaps you can tell us more about it.     

                Thank you for reading

                                                            RCS

Science: First Words On

RCS Posts: A method of understanding five powerful actions, science is a way to knowledge.        

 

        Science is a way one may use to better everyday life. Science is a doing. It is a method of understanding. It is the practice of a method to understand and to communicate that understanding. It may be called the scientific method. This method can be an aid to one's personal self-development. 

            As you become more acquainted with this method of understanding you will become a more understanding person. You will also come to have a better understanding of science than do most people on earth. You will also have begun a better understanding of any of the sciences even ytterbiumology!

            The scientific method includes the following 5 powerful actions: 

~ observation

~ identification

~ description

~ experimentation

~ explanation.

               These are four actions one may take to know. They are what one can do. This "what" is important but "how" may be more important. I will say a bit about this "how" right here. Observation may be the careful watching of a process, doing, or happening you have good reason to believe is real. Identification is being familiar enough with what you have observed to be able to recognize it again. A description enables you to tell another how to recognize the phenomenon and to help you to recognize it again later. Experimentation is a way to further investigate that which you have observed. Explanation is a theoretical explaining of what you are coming to understand from your observation of the phenomena you have identified.

            Just taking the above steps and so becoming more aware of your observations has empowered you. So, we might say, a scientist carefully observes and begins an explanation of her observations. The method, is how she does this. That is, it is done carefully and systematically. The scientist can tell another the system and theoretically that other should be able to duplicate the original observations and experimentation and get similar results. The quality of what is done is important, How well you observe is important. How you do it is as important as what you do.

           To understand a subject it is good to clarify the words used to describe it. Let me begin to begin to define some our terms here. The word "science" seems a good place to start. Simply, science means knowledge, the business of coming to know. Just how one knows is a serious business. Science became knowledge gathered by study and still contains that meaning. Study is a name for careful observation and interpretation within a specified field. That now often includes study of the work of others, Now science has come to include the technical and mathematical study of a subject. We will not go as far as the uses of math or the techniques if a specific science. However, the basic methods of doing science both simpler and more powerful than one might suppose. Some come to see it as an attitude.

            "Method" refers to the way an act is accomplished, how it is done. So, science is a way to understand. A particular science is a way to understanding in a particular field. Anthropology is a particular science. "Anthro- refers to humanity and -ology refers to study. So anthropology is the study of humanity. It is often about the comparative study of societies. Study is an important part of the life of most scientists. They want to know about what others in their field have learned.

                In doing their science they usually begin with observation and identification; then on to describe and investigate. Experimentation in this field has not been easy, but anthropologist are finding ways of testing their observations. Their explaining of the phenomena of their field has proven interesting and useful. They have their own way of doing their work, but they also use the basic steps of the method we are learning about (I learn as I write.).

    `        "Biology" names another science. Its about life. It is the natural scientific study of life and living organisms. It is one of the more nicely developed sciences. So nicely developed that some of its practitioners some times seem to forget that its development is dependent on the method we are looking at. Cells and genes are important aspects of this science. Understanding them begins with observation and identification and then on to explain their finds to their fellows and humanity. Biologists use the scientific method.

            You have seen that it can important that a person interested in science to have a good grasp on the nature of the scientific method. Knowledge of that method can be a great aid to one interested in knowledge. The following vocabulary points to activities useful to one who would know: observation, identification, recognition, explanation, probability, knowing, understanding, researching, theoretical description. Also, to remember that an ability to recognize and observe natural phenomena is a great aid to understanding and is part of scientific methodology. If you are interested in math you may find that solid geometry may prove an interesting way to keep your science real and less difficult to communicate.

            I believe that you have an understanding of the heart of the scientific method as a way many have found useful for gaining practical, productive knowledge.

            The ways of scientific observation are important to the development of understanding. Often it is carried with the use of technical instrumentation, but that need not be the case. My dictionary has this to say about "to observe:" to watch attentively, to notice, to make a systematic or scientific observation. I have heard that good observation may be like seeing with a new pair of glasses. "Systematic" implies that there may be a system or systems to be learned. It seems that the way of a scientific doing is as important as the what of it. I have heard that is not so much about what you but rather how you do it.

            So observation includes the acts of looking, seeing, noting, and recording of  phenomena. All this done as a step toward communicating your work to another. Your observation might be better done with instrumentation, but this is often not a necessity. 

            Observation may lead to developing an a judgement or inference. Wow! We may have stuff (good important stuff) to learn about the development of a judgement or an inference. If you can tell us anything about judgement or inference as relates to science please use the "comments" section below. You may have to click on "no comments!"

             There is more to learn about the way science is done.  However this seems about enough for now. I'll end by saying a bit about identification. Identifying a phenomenon, is in large part, for the purpose of being able to recognize it yourself in the future and to an enable others to find it, and to recognize it.

            Oh, ytterbiumology, it is beyond my present knowledge. Still it may be studied and know well enough to make us some cash. It seems that ytterbium is a real element known to many chemists and physicists. It has the symbol of Yb and the atomic number of 70. I am willing to be taught.

                                                             RCS

 

Woman and Girl

RCS Posts:Understanding a Memory

 

                 She was young, about his age. She was speaking with an older woman she obviously cared for, but she was saying with some vehemence, "You just don't care."

                The older woman seemed truly fond of the girl. Though she may have felt some hurt at the girl's words, she answered in kindly tones. He remembered what she said. She had said, "I have come to see that  many things do not matter much, and that most things don't matter at all."

 

                The girl answered, still with some feeling, "You don't care about anything."

                The woman answered, a bit as though she were she were speaking to herself as much as to the girl, "I once knew an old gentleman who did not believe in"things."

                After a few seconds the older woman continued,"Your feelings matter to me very much, but I am not responsible for them."

                                                        

                                                            RCS