Do people really ever understand each other?

Question

Do you understand youself? Does one's contentment with the human race require the utmost ability to understand one another?

What does it mean to understand one another? How is that attained?

Answer 1

It is attained primarily through empathy... from recognizing in another person what you have felt or thought yourself. It can even extend to understanding a way of thinking that is perhaps foreign to you. I'm not a particularly religious person, for example, but I can empathize with someone who is... someone seeking spiritual peace in an uncertain world through faith and belief. Full understanding of another person is probably impossible, but ultimately if we don't make an attempt to discover in one another a shared humanity, the points where our values and beliefs intersect rather than clash, then the world is probably doomed.

Answer 2

We can better understand others as well as ourselves when we begin to understand the concept of self-preservation. That's what makes us feel like we're the smartest, the best, right, and that our priorities are most important. It makes us sometimes try to convince others we are correct, or portray ourselves as the victim.

We can also understand others and ourselves by accepting that our perceptions do not necessarily equal the intentions of others.

Another aid to our understanding is to take responsibility for our own feelings. They are our responsibility. Besides, no one else wants that job. Our feelings are inspired by our perceptions, which are not always the intentions of others.

When we make fewer assumptions and ask more questions, and accept more (whether we agree or not) we can gain better understanding.

When we know someone well, we think we can accurately predict their motivations and their inetnetons. This can be both good and bad. It's good, if we are givingthem a gift or counting on them for something. It can be bad, though.

People who have been married for a long time sometimes assume the other's motive or intention, and that assumption can sometimes be distorted by emotional involvement, baggage, or insecurity.

For instance, repeating a request and raising one's voice because it doesn't appear to them that the other is listening. Their partner might take that as nagging or harping.

By demonstrating empathy and asking for it, people can also better understand one another.

Answer 3

Honestly, i do not even understand myself, let alone others. I find it difficult to understand why some people do what and why people say what in a situation or whatnot. It seems almost impossible to completely understand one another because we all have different thought patterns and think of different things, its what makes us individuals. But being individuals also comes with having the curse of this disability to understand one another. But there are times that one can understand simple ideas, like the people above me stated, i can understand what you mean.

Answer 4

I won't go deeply into your question, but will say,,, I certainly hope so.

At times it takes more than questions and answers however. It also takes some intuition, and that might begin with a general knowledge of the OTHER person.

I also suspect we all question, often, ourselves, and as often there may not be answers that come to us, or those we GET!!!

Coexistence isn't totally dependant on Understanding, but certainly flows more smoothly with acceptance and tolerance.

Steven Wolf

Answer 5

While we cannot completely understand each other, we can still share certain degrees, or levels, of mutual understanding via common experiences that all humans have. Understanding of self appears to be a prerequisite to the understanding of others.

Answer 6

Sometimes understanding one another implies trying to put yourself in the other person's mind, to try and understand the behavior. We shall not mistake understanding with justifying an action. For example, If a person steals something I can try to understand why he did that but I would not justify it in any way.
Sometimes by understanding you can justify but that depends on the morale of each own.

Answer 7

Maybe our inablility to understand one another - not just between "races" and cultures, but mano a mano - is the reason organized religions and other systems designed to guide behaviour do so well. I lived with my husband for 20 years and I NEVER understood him. And my sister is a complete mystery to me, even if I care deeply for her. I don't think ANYONE gets my Mom - she's great, but eccentric as hell. My kids tell me I don't even begin to understand them. Yet I'm pretty empathetic and I really do try hard to get to the nitty gritty - but people are kind of slippery ... they evolve, they lie to themselves, they hide their fears, etc etc. Now I just smile and nod - that seems to be enough for most people - they figure you're agreeing and you get them. Maybe that should be one of the commandments: "Thou shalt smile and nod when conversing."

Answer 8

To understand one another is to understand my "me" myself. I should understand that I am worshiping my free will (selfishness). I am not aware that what I do affects everybody directly or indirectly. What I think is pleasurable for me is important and I pursue it no matter what is the consequence. These questions are just intended for each and everyone of us. By understanding oneself is understanding all the people in this world. Our belief that we have this entity that we call "I" is true to all of us. Our "I" which is us is truly ignorant to see that we are all one, we are not separate. To understand oneself is to understand everything.I think that's how understanding each other will start.

Answer 9

Great question for perilous times!
Yes - people can understand both themselves and others - by doing what the word says: under stand. To under stand means to lift up the other person above one's self and by one's effort. Imagine helping a person standing on your shoulders. It means carrying the weight. It means accepting they may see differently and further than you. It may mean moving in order to keep the balance. And it always means sacrifice. Then we under stand.

Answer 10

Tryingt to understand another person fully is like trying to predict what the next design in the kaleidoscope will be.

I think if we fully understood ourselves or each other it would cause instant insanity. best to view through a foggy glass..safer.