A Common Mistake

If you are sixteen or older, the odds of you having your drivers license are fairly good. In order to acquire this license you had to complete/pass a state-approved “drivers ed” program, which consisted of a combination of driving and class work, for the duration of approximately two to three weeks. After completing this first segment, you were given a driving permit which enabled you to “practice driving” with a parent or legal guardian for a specific period of time. Later on, you entered the next segment for some additional class work and, after that was complete, were able to take your “road test,” which, if passed, approved you to get your official drivers license. Again, if you have a drivers license, chances are you went through this process or one very similar to it.

The class work we did during our “drivers ed” program can be referred to as the “intellectual understanding” of the subject of driving. In it we learned the rules or “laws” of driving an automobile. We learned about various traffic signals, signs, speed limits, etc. We learned the theory of how-to-drive a car and at this point, our understanding was purely intellectual.

But class work wasn't all we did. Eventually, we were able to get behind the steering wheel and, along with other students and a driving instructor, drive down the road amidst other automobiles. This process of actually driving a car can be referred to as the “functional understanding” of the subject of driving. Functional understanding is essentially understanding something by doing or applying what we know intellectually. Though we understood how to drive a car (in the intellectual sense), we didn't fully understand it until we actually did it and became proficient at doing it (which took a considerable amount of time and effort).

As discussed in the Introduction, the ability to fully understand a given subject is dependent upon two distinct forms of understanding: intellectual and functional. Both are necessary to fully understand almost anything. One of the most common mistakes in the area of personal growth is assuming we understand something, when in reality we only understand it intellectually. But it is only after we take the time and put forth the effort to functionally apply what we intellectually know, that we can truly understand our potential and grow personally.