Accuracy, Part V It's been seven months since I've updated this site. Yes, I've been that busy. I won't go into what I've been doing right now, but I'll get into some of it in my next blog. The four steps to accuracy: Admit you may be wrong See what is not fully explained, incomplete, or doesn't make sense Research the material Be crystal clear There is a difference between understanding and thinking you understand. Understanding Understanding is not knowledge, though knowledge is a part of understanding. In fact, understanding is one of three things that make up understanding. Knowledge is factual information. It comes directly from primary information, not simply something you're told. Primary information cannot be argued. It is a photograph of the event happening, a videorecording, a historical document, or anything that shows unquestionably whether or not something is true. It is not a diary or journal, as they can be biased; other sources can also be biased, though they can present one side of the story. Listening to someone restate what they have been told is not primary information. The speaker could have easily been lied to or be filling in information with what they have assumed. A great example of secondary information is the current debate in the U.S. over the existence of Separation of Church and State. Some say it was made up by lawyers and judges; others say Jefferson called it by that term first in a letter he wrote in 1802. In this case, they both have part of the information, and the rest is filled in: Jefferson graduated with a law degree from William and Mary, attaining the bar in 1767 and leaving in 1774 when he decided law could be used as a tool for social reform. He included Freedom of Religion in the First Amendment for the purpose of allowing people of different religions to understand each other, as he hoped for in a number of his writings. I do not know if the letter was real. Experience is anything in your personal history related to the knowledge. You can't teach experience; you just have to deal with it and use it whenever the need arises. Comprehension is how you interpret knowledge and experience. I've tried explaining it to people, but it's just too difficult because people pre-judge or look for proof that they're right. I apologize for this being so short, but it's been too long and I've got to get back into the swing of it. I'll have Part V-b soon, when I go into more detail about what this blog was supposed to be about--I promise!

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