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Languages all seem to lack the right word for it. "Mastery", "wisdom" etc. all don't seem to quite capture the essence of it. I'm frequently glad for Heinlein'

by bane 12y ago

Languages all seem to lack the right word for it. "Mastery", "wisdom" etc. all don't seem to quite capture the essence of it. I'm frequently glad for Heinlein's invention of the word "grok" to finally give a name to it. I just wish it was a prettier word.

ableal 12y ago
There's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(feeling) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(feeling) , although it's not a verb, and would probably be rather weirded if verbed. (That page ends up referencing, among other things, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satori http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satori , which may go well with sushi.)
- bane 12y ago
  I think Satori is translated into English as "understanding in fullness". 'Grok' has always seemed to mean to me something kind of like this, where no further epiphanies are possible.
  - diminoten2 12y ago
    Except grok simply means to comprehend/understand something to the level of competence. I've never heard of anyone using grok to mean something along the lines of "mastery".
    - mercer 12y ago
      For me it's somewhere in between 'competence' and 'mastery', but really slightly different from both. I suppose that's why the term exists separate from 'competence' and 'mastery'. I'd say 'grok' generally means that you truly understand something in a fundamental way, rather than just being 'competent' or 'masterful' at that thing. It's a crucial step on the path to mastery, but mastery might still require a lot of practice. I find 'Your problem with Vim is that you don't grok vi [1]' to be a classic example of proper usage. It explains fundamental principles of vim's 'grammar'. Once you've read and understood it, you 'grok' vim. But even though this knowledge is crucial in being a 'master', it does not make you one. That would require a lot of practice (in this particular case, for me, a few weeks). I've had similar experiences with functional programming. There was a point, after much reading, where I felt that I truly 'grokked' the approach, but I'm still far away from being a master at functional programming. Old imperative habits die hard. [1]:http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1218390/what-is-your-most-productive-shortcut-with-vim/1220118#1220118 http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1218390/what-is-your-most...

by bane 12y ago

ableal 12y ago

There's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(feeling) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(feeling) , although it's not a verb, and would probably be rather weirded if verbed. (That page ends up referencing, among other things, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satori http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satori , which may go well with sushi.)

bane 12y ago
I think Satori is translated into English as "understanding in fullness". 'Grok' has always seemed to mean to me something kind of like this, where no further epiphanies are possible.
- diminoten2 12y ago
  Except grok simply means to comprehend/understand something to the level of competence. I've never heard of anyone using grok to mean something along the lines of "mastery".
  - mercer 12y ago
    For me it's somewhere in between 'competence' and 'mastery', but really slightly different from both. I suppose that's why the term exists separate from 'competence' and 'mastery'. I'd say 'grok' generally means that you truly understand something in a fundamental way, rather than just being 'competent' or 'masterful' at that thing. It's a crucial step on the path to mastery, but mastery might still require a lot of practice. I find 'Your problem with Vim is that you don't grok vi [1]' to be a classic example of proper usage. It explains fundamental principles of vim's 'grammar'. Once you've read and understood it, you 'grok' vim. But even though this knowledge is crucial in being a 'master', it does not make you one. That would require a lot of practice (in this particular case, for me, a few weeks). I've had similar experiences with functional programming. There was a point, after much reading, where I felt that I truly 'grokked' the approach, but I'm still far away from being a master at functional programming. Old imperative habits die hard. [1]:http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1218390/what-is-your-most-productive-shortcut-with-vim/1220118#1220118 http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1218390/what-is-your-most...