Difference Between Knowing and Understanding

‘Knowing’ vs ‘Understanding’

Finding the difference between knowing and understanding can be difficult. It is hard to find a distinction between the two because they are both abstract processes of the mind and the brain. Being able to know their differences can lead us to a better awareness of ourselves, who we are, and what we want.

‘Knowing,’ or the act of knowing, which is called ‘knowledge,’ is defined as ‘the expertise and skill acquired by an individual through his experiences and education.’ It includes facts and information about certain things of which you are certain about. It involves the basic recall of data which have been previously presented.

It involves perception, learning, communication, association, and reasoning. It may also mean the ability to use a certain thing or subject for an appropriate purpose. All information is processed by the mind, and to know it is to be familiar with it. The mind then passes the information to the brain.

‘Understanding’ is processed in the brain. It is defined as ‘a psychological process related to a person, object, situation, or messages which require an individual to think and use concepts to deal with.’ Also called ‘intellection,’ understanding involves conceptualization and association.

It is the awareness of the connection between pieces of information that are presented and has a deeper level than knowing and, in fact, is essential in order to put knowledge to good use.

For example, you will know that the weather is bad when there is rain, but you may not understand why it is happening. Learning how rain is formed and how it affects the weather is the key to understanding why the weather is bad. You may also recognize a written language and know what it is just by looking at the characters, but you will not understand it unless you take some time to study it.

Understanding takes a long time to take place whereas knowledge can take place sooner. The moment information is given, it is immediately processed in the mind, and then the individual will know about the subject.

In order for the brain to understand, it must be presented with the same knowledge constantly. The more information that the brain receives about a subject, the better it will understand.

When you understand, you are able to distinguish, explain, interpret, and summarize data. When you know, you are able to identify, label, list, name, and recall data. Both understanding and knowing are very important for our growth as individuals. They determine how we view and react to our environment and the people we associate with.

Summary:

1. ‘Knowing’ is the expertise and skill acquired by an individual from his experiences and education while ‘understanding’ is a psychological process that requires an individual to think and use concepts to deal with a person, object, message, or situation.
2. Understanding has a deeper level than knowing.
3. Knowing is processed in the mind while understanding is processed in the brain.
4. Understanding may take longer to acquire than knowing.

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