A gentle reminder

[waheed]

On 3/29/2026 at 3:04 PM, Leo Gura said:

You guys understand understanding as much as this ape understands driving.

 

That was brutal 😂

[Joseph Maynor]

1 hour ago, UnbornTao said:

It's not necessarily about another person, or about seeking social validation, although sometimes that can be incredibly useful, and oftentimes it is required, even demanded. This discussion deals mostly within the context of abilities or fields where knowledge can be easily verified, just for the sake of the conversation. As a more abstract field, think of math, for example.

If I can't drive, no amount of claiming that I directly experience and understand the activity is going to change the fact that I'm essentially lying to myself. When it comes to existential matters, boy, we can all be exceptionally good liars (mainly to ourselves) because, unless you somehow create it for yourself, there is not the same kind of feedback that tells us that we're lying to ourselves, overlooking and assuming stuff, etc.

What criteria or factor 'decides' whether one is able to perform or not, and how well? One thing is clear: you are not that deciding factor. In the case of physical activities, this point shouldn't be hard to see. That's why they're used as examples to bring up a deeper principle.

I see.  So for you truth is what can be demonstrated to others (or to a reasonable person) for verification.

[UnbornTao]

31 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

I see.  So for you truth is what can be demonstrated to others (or to a reasonable person) for verification.

No! I'm talking about experiential understanding, not truth. And I used "not-you" as a tool to step out of one's mind to make a more fair, unbiased assessment relative to one's real understanding of some activity. It doesn't have to be a person or a group. That you're able to do it - and to the degree that you do - is the proof. Not to be confused necessarily with social validation. But if you're going to become a surgeon, say, of course that social element is an essential component in this regard.

[Joseph Maynor]

5 minutes ago, UnbornTao said:

No! I'm talking about experiential understanding, not truth. And I used "not-you" as a tool to step out of one's mind to make a more fair, unbiased assessment relative to one's real understanding of some activity. It doesn't have to be a person or a group. That you're able to do it - and to the degree that you do - is the proof. Not to be confused necessarily with social validation. But if you're going to become a surgeon, say, of course that social element is an essential component in this regard.

Understood.  But what is the activity that we're competing in?

[UnbornTao]

1 hour ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Understood.  But what is the activity that we're competing in?

I don't understand your question. Are you asking why we're having this exchange? Mostly for entertainment and interacting with others, I'd say, but hopefully it also opens some doors for people.

If you mean it more generally, any activity or ability, really. We're essentially asking what skill is.