Three ways of knowing

[Mole]

The British say, "I know it like the back of my hand",

While the Germans say, "I know it like the inside of my pocket"

And the Americans say, "I know it inside out".

How are we knowing?

 

[Arclight]

I can't speak for "we".

But three ways of knowing are as follows;

Intellectuality, emotionally and spiritually

 

[ThatGirl]

How do you NOT know, Victor? How do you not know?

 

[Mole]

Not knowing

How do you NOT know, Victor? How do you not know?

Well, literacy privileges my eye, and so my ear, my taste, my touch, my balance and my viscera are underprivileged.

I was compelled by law to go to a special institution with specially trained teachers for twelve years to learn to read and write. And in learning to read and write I learnt to know by eye and not to know by ear, taste, touch, balance and viscera.

 

[Mole]

Knowing through the senses

The Russians say, "I know it like the palm of my hand"

And the French say, "I know it in depth".

So the Russians are tactile and the French are aural.

 

[Thalassa]

I think the French and the Russians are both pretty tactile compared to predominantly English-speaking cultures.

 

[Mole]

I think the French and the Russians are both pretty tactile compared to predominantly English-speaking cultures.

The Brtish are visual, the Americans favour the proprioceptive sense, that is, the sense of balance and dance, and as you say, the Russians are tactile.

 

[guesswho]

What if they're not?

 

[Mole]

From Cliche to Archetype

What if they're not?

Perhaps they are not.

The only evidence I offer is cliche.

And I jump from cliche to archetype.

 

[Mole]

Tactile knowing.

Last night I was sitting in my armchair and I became aware of warmth in my skin. Ah ha, I thought, the tactile sense, the sense of touch.

So I thought why not take my tactile sense for a walk up to Manuka. So as I left the house I allowed myself to perceive everything through my sense of touch.

And everywhere I looked I found things touching. In particular I found the motor cars touching the air. And the air touching the motor cars. Indeed the touch of the air on the cars had formed their very shape, for they were streamlined to the touch of air at 80 kilometres an hour.

And then I thought of the jet fighter touching the air at 800 kilometres an hour. And a shark touching the water as streamlined as a car or a jet. In fact the touch of water and air create the same streamlined shapes.

And indeed it is shape that we touch. So as I moved up to Manuka, I touched the shape of the trees, the shape of the lights, shape of even the petrol station. There were shapes everywhere, extraordinary shapes, beautiful shapes, half hidden shapes, with the sense of touch revealing their magic.

 

[Nicodemus]

While the Germans say, "I know it like the inside of my pocket"

We say: I know it like my vest pocket.

 

[Mole]

Touching and looking.

We say: I know it like my vest pocket.

Hey, pretty close, eh?

And I interpret it as the interface of touch. So perhaps for Germans touch is an interface.

While I say, I know it like the back of my hand. And I know the back of my hand by looking. So I interpret it as knowing by sight.

So while you touch the interface, I look at the surface.

 

[Jaguar]

The British say, "I know it like the back of my hand",

And the French say, "I know it in depth".

And the Americans say, "I know it inside out".

Great. I'm British, French, and American.

 

[Mole]

Inside out

Great. I'm British, French, and American.

But not German.

I think, Jaguar, it is about time you discovered your inner German. Take your cue from Nicodemus or Red Herring. They are both German on the outside. So you can be German on the inside.

You can be on the inside looking out, and they can be on the outside looking in.

And then you can know it inside out.

 

[Jaguar]

I'm German and Czech, Victor. Lol.

 

[Mole]

I'm German and Czech, Victor. Lol.

So what do the Czechs say?

How do they finish, "I know it..........".

 

[Thalassa]

I'm American but I grew up saying I knew things like the back of my hand.

I'm not sure I've ever said I know anything inside out.

 

[Mole]

I'm American but I grew up saying I knew things like the back of my hand.

I'm not sure I've ever said I know anything inside out.

Of course, dearest Marmie, you are the exception that proves the rule.

And look, Marmie, you are exceptional in every way. And why should we be surprised as American Exceptionalism shows itself every day.

 

[Jaguar]

So what do the Czechs say?

How do they finish, "I know it..........".

You're into generalizations. Make up something.

 

[lunalum]

^ Win

Oh, and the answer is that when we know things it is through knowing them inside and out. The back of hands and insides of pockets can be very unfamiliar things.