21 thoughts on “One-Liner Wednesday”

    1. Even when it’s misunderstood it is an interpretation and it’s better than no understanding at all. It’s good that what we write has many interpretations and it leaves room for new writing later. Thanks, JoAnna!

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  8. I recognize that you used misunderstand vs not understand for human vs robot. But I wish we had a word like reunderstand or difunderstand — when we understand something differently than what the writer intended but our understanding isn’t wrong, just different — we say reinterpret or interpet — but I’d like a word with understand in it — maybe transunderstand? for transformative understanding? now see! your two lines made me think too much, lol.

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    1. That’s a good point. There isn’t one understanding of some text that’s correct. Each reader will understand it somewhat differently. Even a “misunderstanding” is a kind of understanding, an understanding with a value judgement about its quality. A robot only manipulates the text perhaps moving it from one place to another or reformatting it or reciting it. It does not understand at all. Its task has no subjectivity associated with it, no way to do the task differently. We can mess things up as well as understand a text better than the author did. I don’t know what that word is you are looking for, but your suggestion of “transunderstand” sounds good. Understanding is transformative. Thank you!

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