Put "understanding" on the top of your list!

I have talked before of finer distinctions but, with every passing day, I see their value even more. This Tip is about the distinction between knowledge and understanding.

When I understand something clearly, I am amazed at the results and outcome I often experience. However, when I think I understand something and later discover that I did not understand as clearly as I thought, I end up confused and very frustrated.

Which one of us has not had an experience where we thought we understood a situation only later to find out that we did not have a clear understanding at all? You see, it is not what we think we know that really matters. It is understanding correctly that will make the difference.

If our emphasis is on true understanding rather than just knowledge, we will be much better. Our actions can be no wiser or better than the way we think and our thinking can be no wiser than our understanding.

Many people put a vast amount of time, effort and energy into planning a wedding; the rehearsal dinner, the service, and the honeymoon. People often mistakenly think that the emphasis should be on the ceremony. However, all of that is only going to last for a few hours. Marriage is supposed to last a lifetime, yet frequently more thought is put into the activities that are brief, rather than the actual marriage itself which requires a great deal of understanding. If your knowledge of a marriage is only about the wedding and honeymoon, rather than understanding how a relationship works, in the end you will be very surprised and disappointed.

The same is true of finances. We often hear about people who have won the lottery. Overnight they are very wealthy but may not necessarily have acquired an understanding of how to wisely handle wealth. In that case, all they have acquired is the knowledge that they are rich. It is much more important to actually have understanding about money matters. If someone has understanding and loses all their money, they can always get more money. But, if they have only knowledge and no understanding, they may end up broke.

Let's see what the wisest man who ever lived had to say about this topic:

"Wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you." Proverbs 2:10

You see, Solomon gave us four steps for successful living; wisdom in our heart, knowledge in our soul (mind, will and emotions), discretion as our protection, and finally, understanding as the overall watch-guard of our life.

Here is one last example to illustrate my point. Recently I had to get two doors for our new office. Did you know there is a difference between a right-handed or left-handed door? It is not just a matter of what you think about it. It is a matter of clearly understanding the industry specific explanation of right-handed and left-handed doors. The carpenter, builder, construction supervisor, and employee at the local hardware store all have to have the same understanding. Otherwise, what you think is a right- handed door may actually be a left-handed door.

It doesn't matter that you have knowledge that you need a door. What matters is that you have understanding so that you purchase the right one. My builder explained to me that if the door swings open to the right, away from you as you stand in the doorway with the hinges to your back, it is a right-handed door. If it swings open to the left away from you, it is a left- handed door. That is the understanding that everyone in the building industry has, and therefore there can be no misunderstanding.

I know that is just a simple example but multiply that times thousands and thousands of details over the years of your life and you will see why understanding carries the day.

The whole purpose of these Tips is to help us have a better life and I know of nothing that has helped my life be better than the fact that understanding is paramount in all that I do.

This information is provided in congruence with Personality Insights USA.