I have a problem, and I'd like your help resolving it.

Much of my life, people have said to me, "You get it". And for much of my life, I've wondered what people really meant by this. I've come to understand that it means they understand something, that most of the people in their environment don't, but somehow I do understand it in the same way they do.

Now, let me be clear about something. I'm a bright guy. I may not be the smartest guy in the room, though. I'm not superliterate. I haven't done the Key To Life course. I've never even had Method One. I probably have a better understanding of English than most people; I took advanced English classes in school, and made good grades, both in English and Math/Science. But none of this means I've got any special abilities when it comes to understanding things. (Or maybe I do? I don't know.)

Apparently, this getting it means an understanding of something at a greater depth than other people. Perhaps a better understanding of the connections of something to other, perhaps seemingly unrelated things.

Also let me state that I'm not this way with everything. There are lots of things I don't understand. Don't even ask me about women. Because I don't know any more than you do about them. And I've made a run at musical "keys" several times, and I still don't fully understand the idea. The Poet Ren will attest to this.

Knowing about things is not the same as truly understanding them. LRH made this distinction clear. In science fiction, Robert Heinlein made up a word to describe this in Stranger In A Strange Land. He called it grokking. I grok, you grok, he she and it grok. It meant, more or less, understanding something in the fullest sense of the word.

You've probably experienced this in your life as well.

I've known people who have studied something multiple times, and they still don't understand it the way I do. They seem to understand it but in a very "literal" way. They don't seem to understand it in a very thorough way.

Anyway, this isn't really about me at all. This is about this phenomenon of getting it, what it is, and how it works. More importantly, how to reproduce it. Is it just about intelligence? Or does it go deeper? Does it have to do with being able to unconsciously straightwire your track experience on any give subject, adding multiple dimensions to your understanding of it? Does it have to do with the way you study things and the kinds of questions you ask while studying? If so, how does that work and what kinds of questions might one ask? Does it have to do with empathy and the ability to duplicate other people's viewpoints easily? Is it an ability to easily link one's observations throughout life with what one is studying currently? If so, how do you get that to happen with other people?

You get the point. As I write this, it's currently Christmas season. Much of the civilized world is preoccupied with decorating, cooking, cleaning (so your place doesn't look like such a wreck when guests show up), preparing for trips to or visits from family and friends. So I'm sure many of you have your hands full. But if you get a chance during this holiday season, give some time to considering the above, and let me know what you think.