Today we will talk about a very interesting phenomenon. For example, now those who have graduated from school know perfectly well why it snows or rains. Schoolchildren have the simplest knowledge of anatomy. We have become more attentive to our he alth. The level of medicine for all has grown significantly. And this means only one thing: we have numerous explanations. This is the last noun we will analyze today.
Meaning
Of course, the definition of "explanation" has many different sides, but you should still start with the meaning that is recorded in the explanatory dictionary in order to build everything else on this foundation. Of course, this is not the most interesting part, but it is necessary. So, the explanatory dictionary states the following:
- Same as explained.
- Written or verbal excuse or confession.
- That which clarifies or helps to understand something.
As you can see, there are many meanings. But you also need to understand what is behindinfinitive. Let's not bore the reader. The explanatory dictionary says the following: "Explain to someone or comprehend for oneself, make it clear, understandable." That is, the main thing in the noun "explanation" is finding causal relationships between phenomena.
Examples of usage
If you think about it, then all the meanings of the object of study come down precisely to understanding what is happening in the world in general. When the boss wants an explanatory note from an employee, he wants to understand why he was still late for his favorite and, of course, highly paid job. Everything else is clear. For example: "Peter acted in such a way that it is difficult for me to find any rational explanation for this" (this is to the 3rd value). Or this example: "It's hard for me yet to explain how the new system for evaluating the performance of each employee in our company works, but I will definitely think about it." In the latter case, the infinitive can be replaced with synonyms such as "comprehend" or "give an explanation." This, we hope, is clear. Moving on.
The passion to explain is ineradicable
The paradox of human nature is that it is difficult to force people to learn, but their passion for explanation cannot be eradicated by any force. We don’t know if the reader has observed or not, but there is such a phenomenon: preschoolers invent theories that explain various physical phenomena. Of course, these hypotheses are unscientific, but amusing. For example, you can explain the swaying of branches in the wind notby the wind itself, but by the movement of the earth. It is difficult to understand what logic forms such an interpretation, but it is obviously there.
People ancient and modern
But we will talk, of course, not about children, but about our ancestors. Until the time when people took a course towards the rationalization of existence, that is, they turned to a scientific worldview. And it happened in the 17th century. This period in history is called "New Time" and lasts from the 17th to the 20th century, although there is no consensus on the scope of this historical period. Someone argues that the New Age began almost at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, and ended at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
But we know that science has not always been ahead of the rest. Ancient people preferred magical cause-and-effect relationships, and, accordingly, this kind of explanation, this is a well-known fact. And the problems were also solved in a peculiar way: if there is no rain, a sacrifice is needed. And if it started to rain, the gods took pity on humanity. The world was much more interesting than it is now. Then nature was inhabited by gods and spirits who controlled everything. Now everything is bland and boring. This is probably why many, out of boredom, still believe in other worlds, omens, and other unprovable things. I do not want to realize that nothing but the material world exists. In one of the books of K.-G. Jung it is said that the more a person learned about the world, the less gods became in it. And the one God as an idea is present in consciousness, because we have not yet decided some important questions of a metaphysical order: “What is the meaning oflife?”, “Who controls the world?”, “Is there predestination?”. Maybe they have no answer in principle, so the idea of God is eternal as a universal key to understanding and justifying the chaos and absurdity that is happening in reality.
Metaphor is not explanation
Speaking about the interpretation of the meaning of the word "explanation", one cannot but mention the difficult relationship between the metaphor and the object of study. Why is it important? Because many people confuse these concepts and think that if you pick up a good metaphor, that is, an image, everything will immediately become clear. Cynical diagnostician Dr. House loves metaphors, but if his colleagues didn't have a medical background, they wouldn't understand him.
The subtle difference between good imagery and explanation
But sometimes a metaphor is the key to understanding the psychological state of a person, that is, using metaphors, you can convey a certain feeling to another. A well-known example is when a husband and wife perceive the world in completely different ways. She is a kinesthetic, that is, touch, body sensations are important for her, and he is a visual, that is, the picture, what he sees, is important to him. The stumbling block is the crumbs on the dinner table. The wife forgot to erase them. Her husband reminded her every day that the table should be clean, but nothing came of it. The couple even went to a psychologist, who used a metaphor. He said to his wife: "Imagine these crumbs in your nightgown." And since then, my wife has always wiped off the table. So the kinesthetic wife fully understood the visual husband. And in this case, the metaphor is onlya way of understanding, a way to convey information to the other side, and the real reason why the husband was so annoyed by the crumbs is that he is visual. Of course, it is important to understand the meaning of the word "explanation", this is understandable, but it is also important to catch the hand of the one who offers you a metaphor instead of an explanation, which does not make it any easier to comprehend what is happening. Images are good when there is no mystery in the mechanism of an unknown phenomenon. In other words, sometimes it's good to be direct.
Paranormal activity and the perspective of knowledge
After we understand what the word "explanation" means, it would be nice to consider events that cannot yet be interpreted by science. This, of course, is about phenomena that go out of the ordinary: psychometry, telepathy, telekinesis, ghosts, ghosts. The popularity of the science fiction series "The X-Files" is not worth talking about. This means that people want to believe. By the way, this is the main slogan of the serial film: “I want to believe”, that is, “I want to believe.”
But, in addition to a great plot, the inexplicable inspires a person with the prospect of learning something new. If science leaves the world without a mystical veil, then life will become insipid. All sorts of "tales from the crypt" and bewitching stories can be considered as an atavism of faith in a miracle among our ancestors. But in any case, the tension that arises between opposites saturates our lives with emotions and intrigue. And if you think that complete rationalization is a blessing, then review the film "Equilibrium" (2002) and re-read "Oh wonderfulnew world" Huxley.
The therapeutic effect of revealing the causes of the phenomenon
This may seem strange to some, but the truth, in addition to practical benefits, also contains a therapeutic effect. The scientific data here cannot serve as an example, but when people break up, it is always a little easier if the man or woman knows the reason for the breakup.
In psychological practice, awareness of the problem is generally the cornerstone of the entire therapeutic process, and this applies to almost any type of treatment, no matter what psychological direction is meant. Psychological difficulties arise in a person for various reasons, but they all have one thing in common - the true cause of torment is always hidden.
What does explaining the big picture mean for the client? This is liberation. It is clear that no amount of awareness will help if a person does not intend to change his life, but a genuine understanding of himself gives him the necessary impetus. As Jim Carrey's character said in Liar, Liar, "The truth will set us free!" So it is.
So we've covered the question of what the word "explanation" means, as well as the subtleties associated with this noun.
