Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

[Kilgamayan]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

No, but can you research with high quality without writing an essay? Yes. The root of this knowledge comes from research, not the writing. The essay isn't the first, research is.

But the essay requires research. Even if the actual typing process does not generate new information, the assignment on the whole does, which is why I said it was "indirect" in my previous post.

This is a moot point regardless because you'll be learning through writing anyway when your writing forces you to think about the subject for yourself and form your own conclusions.

[RandomPscho]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

But the essay requires research. Even if the actual typing process does not generate new information, the assignment on the whole does, which is why I said it was "indirect" in my previous post.

This is a moot point regardless because you'll be learning through writing anyway when your writing forces you to think about the subject for yourself and form your own conclusions.

Coberst is only talking about the writing, I believe. This would still put writing towards the end of understanding. Not the beginning.

[Kilgamayan]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

You seem to be equating knowing with understanding, which is a bad decision to make.

I can research a subject a whole bunch and know a lot about it. Does that mean I understand it? Not necessarily. When I write an essay about the subject, I am forced to think about it in depth - beyond what encyclopedias and the like would present - and make my own decisions about the subject. That is where the understanding part kicks in.

[RandomPscho]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

You still understand while you research. Maybe you don't make all the connections, but you still understand at least some of the information.


I am not disagreeing here that writing helps you understand things, but it is definitely not the beginning of where the understanding starts.

[Kilgamayan]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

"Understanding some of the information" still falls under the category of knowing rather than actual understanding.

Either that or you're researching something scientific, in which case you'd be writing a lab report rather than an essay.

[RandomPscho]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

"Understanding some of the information" still falls under the category of knowing rather than actual understanding.

I could also take the same root, but that one person cannot understand everything within a given topic. There is just too much information, unless the topic is extremely narrow. Writing the essay will make them understand more than not writing, but they still won't understand everything.

Plus, I would say communication and practice rather than just writing. You can gain a much better understand of something by talking in depth about the topic with another person. You can become and amazing teacher by actually teacher, not writing about teaching.

EDIT: When saying much better above, I am not comparing it to writing an essay, but to not doing anything other than research.

[aroruA]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

Sure, you obviously would have some better understanding of a subject that you're writing about after research, and etc. However, if you are being forced to write this essay, on something you aren't even in the least bit interested in, will you honestly and truthfully keep this information with you and understand it? I can see if you are writing about something you are highly passionate about that you'd keep some knowledge with you and possibly in the end develop some form of understanding.

But can you write an essay with any sort of quality without researching your topic?

If you lived in Australia for say twelve years, and you moved back to wherever your home was, and you wanted to write an essay about life in Australia, would you absolutely need to research it? I agree partially, for topics you honestly do not know all too well research is needed, but not for all things is research needed to understand the topic.

Writing is a straightforward way of doing this - it forces you to process the ideas completely and apply your own original thinking to the ideas you've read.

Does that mean I understand it? Not necessarily. When I write an essay about the subject, I am forced to think about it in depth - beyond what encyclopedias and the like would present - and make my own decisions about the subject. That is where the understanding part kicks in.

I agree strongly with these two points.. Another example of writing and not understanding would be something like; if you were a huge fan of a famous actor and you researched and researched for hours on end. Then you finally began to write an essay about that person, even though you might know the facts, will you ever really understand them and their true personality? Yes, I agree as well... If you are writing an essay on a subject you are forced in a sense to apply your own thoughts to benefit your understanding of that subject. But honestly, unless you interact, and think before you make a judgment, can you actually understand something? Isn't writing an essay to apply your own thoughts and beliefs, but that doesn't guarantee that you will end up with a complete understanding of the subject.

[jamuko]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

Nice to see a new user with quality posts!!

If you lived in Australia for say twelve years, and you moved back to wherever your home was, and you wanted to write an essay about life in Australia, would you absolutely need to research it? I agree partially, for topics you honestly do not know all too well research is needed, but not for all things is research needed to understand the topic.

I think in this case, your life in Australia would be considered your "research". It's not as direct as reading scientific reports on the subject, but I think direct experience is a form of research. Kind of like how anthropologists spend time in 3rd world countries to gain an understanding of how they live.

[aroruA]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

Nice to see a new user with quality posts!!

Heh.^^

I think in this case, your life in Australia would be considered your "research". It's not as direct as reading scientific reports on the subject, but I think direct experience is a form of research. Kind of like how anthropologists spend time in 3rd world countries to gain an understanding of how they live.

Yeah, you're correct,

"Research: diligent and systematic inquiry or investigation into a subject in order to discover or revise facts, theories, applications, etc. -Dictionary dot com"

pretty much all in the same 'category'. Even though you'd be living there you'd still be observing in a sense, so that you too could understand and then apply such to get along in life.

With this being said;

Humans were never meant to express their ideas on paper. We are social beings, and reactionary conversation is the only true way to express understanding.

Social beings, yes, but not only do we learn from conversation and such, observing is another way humans gradually understand. I guess you could call this 'social' possibly, however not all observation is done under the assumption of being entire social. "Monkey see, monkey do". But, now I'm wandering slightly off topic.

[coberst]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

Social osmosis is a means for learning for the unsophisticated. But books are the only means for the serious learner.

Hobbies are ways in which many individuals express their individuality. Those matters that excite an individual interest and curiosity are those very things that allow the individual him or her to self-understanding and also for others to understand them. Interests define individuality and help to provide meaning to life. We all look for some ideology, philosophy or religion to provide meaning to life.

When examining psychosis the psychiatrist advises either the establishment of an interpersonal evolvement or for finding interests and perhaps new patterns of thought. Many of us find that our work provides that means for identity and personal fulfillment.

None of us have discovered our full potentialities or have fully explored in depth those we have discovered. Self-development and self-expression are relatively new ideas in human history. The arts are one means for this self-expression. The artist may find drawing or constructing sculptures as a means for self-discovery. The self-learner may find essay writing of equal importance. Consciousness of individuality was first become a possibility in the middle Ages. The Renaissance and further the Reformation enhanced the development of individual identification.

The word “individual” moved from the indivisible and collective to the divisible and distinctive. In this we see the development of an understanding of self-consciousness thus illustrating the dramatic change taking place in our developing understanding of the self as a distinct subject not just a cipher in a community. This was part of the Renaissance.

I recommend that each of us develop the hobby of an intellectual life. We could add to our regular routine the development of an invigorating intellectual life wherein we sought disinterested knowledge; knowledge that is not for the purpose of some immediate need but something that stirs our curiosity, which we seek to understand for the simple reason that we feel a need to understand a particular domain of knowledge.




The question is why do we behave in the manner that we do? We have the sciences of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and psychiatry to study such things and to acquire a comprehension of such matters. We do not ‘see’ what is going on all around us because we have lived in the middle of such behavior all of our lives. We can ‘see’ only what we are prepared to ‘see’.

Some wise person said “know thyself”. We have no way of knowing our self until we begin to study what these sciences have learned and can tell us. If we wish to follow the wise admonition “know thyself” we will begin the process of learning about the findings of these sciences.

I think that one of the steps in the process of self-actualization is to read what the best thinkers have to say about their comprehension of human nature.

[Kilroy_x]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

Social osmosis is a means for learning for the unsophisticated. But books are the only means for the serious learner.

Why are you here then? I think the answer is that learning is a much more complicated process than you think.

When examining psychosis the psychiatrist advises either the establishment of an interpersonal evolvement or for finding interests and perhaps new patterns of thought. Many of us find that our work provides that means for identity and personal fulfillment.

Actually, the psychiatrist writes a prescription.

The self-learner may find essay writing of equal importance. Consciousness of individuality was first become a possibility in the middle Ages. The Renaissance and further the Reformation enhanced the development of individual identification.

That's reasonable; but tell me. If part of developing a strong sense of purpose and individuality is mastering new modes of thought, what's so beneficial about writing in a highly defined form that's been around for half a millenium? Although surely this can be new to the individual, we shouldn't discard the truth that the birth of entirely new modes of thought and expression is often the genesis of the next stage in human understanding, or at least potential for understanding.

The question is why do we behave in the manner that we do? We have the sciences of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and psychiatry to study such things and to acquire a comprehension of such matters. We do not ‘see’ what is going on all around us because we have lived in the middle of such behavior all of our lives. We can ‘see’ only what we are prepared to ‘see’.

There's at least one problem coming up in your reasoning. I'll show it to you.

Some wise person said “know thyself”. We have no way of knowing our self until we begin to study what these sciences have learned and can tell us. If we wish to follow the wise admonition “know thyself” we will begin the process of learning about the findings of these sciences.

The major problem with trusting these disciplines as giving us some level of higher understanding about human nature is that they are engaged in, like all other disciplines, by human beings. You look to them to free you from the cage of language, and of society, but they themselves are simply a different branch of language and society. You will definitely expand your nominal understanding by studying different subjects, but you won't ever be able to dissassociate yourself from yourself. At least not enough to get the kind of definitive understanding of the systems you belong to you are seeking, whether it's your biological nature, your nature as an individual set of pathologies (which is itself, admittedly, predominately an issue of biology), or your social nature.

I think that one of the steps in the process of self-actualization is to read what the best thinkers have to say about their comprehension of human nature.

Good idea. Now how do we determine who the best thinkers are? How do we know when we have understood their writing? How do we even know if they're right? After all, human beings see only what they are prepared to see. What's the difference between popular misconception and novel misconception?

Novel misconception takes more experience and effort, of course!

[coberst]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

Kilroy asks--"How to determine who the best thinkers are?"

It is all a matter of observation and judgment. For good judgment one should study CT (Critical Thinking).

[Kilroy_x]

Re: Essay writing is the beginning of understanding

It is all a matter of observation and judgment. For good judgment one should study CT (Critical Thinking).

In other words, circumstances both of ones training, ones desires, and ones innate nature potentially converge to give insight into the subject after reading the entire library of congress.

K.