We’ll never fully understand something through reading, or listening, or watching.

True understanding takes place when we apply what we’ve learned to real life — when we actually experience it.

Notice the difference. Knowing is one thing. Understanding is one thing.

Sometimes we know something, but we don’t truly understand it. It’s just new information piling up, which unfortunately vanishes over time (unless we apply it).

That’s how most traditional schools operate. We sit and listen. We memorize. We take quizzes and sometimes do a presentation in front of the class.

Teachers bombard us with subjects we don’t really care about.

When we don’t care about the subject, it’s even harder to learn it in the first place.

On the other hand, understanding is a different process. To understand something, we must first learn the fundamentals, then test it in real life.

That’s the reason we can’t just understand running a business or making art or parenting from books, podcasts, blogs, mentors, and school teachers. All of these are just mediums of information.

If we really want to understand, we have to experience it. See it and feel it for what it really is.

PS: Just last week, I became a parent. Incredibly life-changing.

I’d say there are so many things I think I know about parenting, but in reality, I don’t really understand it. It’s actually embarrassing, to be honest.

But I’ve been learning a lot and slowly understanding it. Hopefully I’m really understanding it.

Ha, expect my musings about parenting in the future. 🙂