Understanding

This is an age of quick answers and little understanding. Smart phones, computers and search engines make point-by-point research quite easy. But how much understanding goes along with all that random information?

I am not a Luddite. I enjoy my computer and my tablet. I use Google as much as the next person. I appreciate all the hard work that countless scientists have done to bring all this to my life. 

Looking up something and getting some information from a search engine does not necessarily mean that I understand the greater context of that information or its implications if applied to my life without more investigation. Understanding takes patience and time. Recognition may be instantaneous, but understanding requires methodical thought. Too often the words "I understand" are spoken in the absence of true understanding as a way to placate or soothe. 

The skill of understanding requires practice. Snap judgments may have some value at times, but they must be cast aside for true understanding. Arrogance is the enemy of understanding. Humility aids the process of understanding and comes with its attainment.