When seeing and studying something, you might gain an understanding on how and why it happens simply by seeing it as it happens and not passing judgement. The more you watch, and the greater your depth of observation, the more information you can pick up. Knowledge is the understanding that is gained and is the part that you can use. [1] X Trustworthy Source Association for Psychological Science Nonprofit organization devoted promoting trustworthy research and education in the psychological sciences Go to source In its simplest example, you might learn that fire is hot, but only through touching its heat. Likewise if you don’t remember that it’s harmful and use that knowledge next time you reach to pick up something hot, you will burn yourself. The skill is all about developing insight so it becomes more than basic survival skills, but a way to improve skills and our quality of life and learn things on a much deeper level of understanding.
1. The initiation of a laboratory-like or study field literally the moment you pay attention to it. Generally, everyone has practiced observation and had insights of various degrees throughout their life, but it generally is on a superficial level until the person decides to get to the bottom of the matter, or when they have observed so much of the subject it is more apparent. 2. When practiced to the degree of deep focus or absorption, meditation allows the mind to become far more clear, calmed and focused and can look at things without distortions or personal agendas. [2] X Research source
However, it would be inaccurate to conclude that very deep meditation is the only way to the goal itself although it certainly does help. You might see the finer detail through a microscope certainly, but an example to consider is how expert geologists can tell the quality and type of soil in their hand just through the naked eye, or by using specific gravity tests and other chemical analyses. These skills are learned through experience and testing their understanding. They might have used a microscope in their training and career, or they might never have done so. In this instance, it is like a bird with two wings, observation - such as meditation - is one wing, examining and understanding is the other wing. If the bird has only one wing it can’t fly well, it will just go round in circles.
There is occasionally the idea that “the means to the end” is actually the “end” itself. The complication here is the process or relationship to the process has become more important than focusing on the subject. This can be quite a common experience many go through and some do end up going to universities and colleges all their life or studying the mind in meditation in a routine style, but never really making any breakthroughs. Try not to rush things. This is another common challenge as people hope to find a magic switch to get full understanding on their subject be it science, psychology, arts & literature and so on, or a cure for their troubles. As the metaphor goes, when the “penny drops” in the mind and things make sense, this often takes time to happen naturally. However, repeated observation and testing not only helps the penny drop sooner, but also the extent of the insight is broadened and many different facets can of the same experience can become clear. In this way, a person can learn to think and act more creatively and skilfully. Some also end up stuck with nowhere to go when the insight or knowledge gained is presumed as the goal itself. Insight is just one half of the story, the other half is doing something with it. Consider that a surgeon through his or her experience designs a new scalpel or forceps, but it’s only until these tools are used in surgery that they are going to be useful. In the same way, care must be taken to continuously apply and test any insights gained as well as how to use them as practical tools, which in itself can expand the depth of understanding. The application of understanding relationships is most important, and it goes awry when people prefer to focus on the intellectual, rather than the practical. For example a chemist might discover a new medicine through testing samples, but if the treatment is never made available or ever taken by the patient, it does nothing. The medicinal discovery itself does not destroy the disease. In the same way, you have to apply your understanding to achieve the goal, for the discoveries are just a means to an end.
Be objective and look at everything as if you have never seen it before. Observe it as if it’s a totally unique thing, but most importantly, observe your relationship or interaction with the experience and the object. The ways we can learn the most about a subject as well as how to gain the best outcome is to observe our relationships - how do we feel about the experience - is the mind open or closed to the experience? This helps you observe life more completely, rather than being selective, or allowing parts of the mind to cloud the issue. [3] X Research source Ask yourself often to identify what you see, as you might not always know, even if you do identify it but a secondary feeling or idea arises, then identify that as well. Once you can identify them, you can explore them, just like once you’ve identified the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, you can start to put the puzzle together and you can gain practical understanding and skills. Luckily, in essence there are very few cases when the solution to many of our life challenges aren’t already within the problem we experience - or in essence, our relationship with the problem. By exploring the foundation of the problem, a solution can be found, or if a solution is simply impossible, then a person can then start to come to terms with accepting the realities of life and finding a silver lining or creative opportunity if they are practical. In life aspects, many of our frustrations, unhappiness, depression and sorrows happen because we aren’t looking at things completely and applying our understanding, or observing the issue to understand it. Generally it is wise to go back to the beginning and examine the central facts and test those in relation to what you see. You might be studying to gain an insight into a maths project, but if you are too tired or not interested then it is useful to identify this feeling as this is your relationship with the subject.
Very often things can suddenly make sense (like a “light-bulb moment”), even things you have seen dozens of times before. Through life experience, your mind develops the tools needed to put together pieces of the puzzle, as well as identify different angles and ways that the experience can be improved. The mind is often able to relate what has been seen to prior experiences in order to make connections. By using an inward observation, eventually even this tool and skill gathering becomes apparent.
In a relationship context, insight and mindfulness - as the two wings of the bird - are useful everywhere; at work, school, home and all times in between. It has clear uses in empathy - being able to understand the challenges and issues we and other people face, and then relating and acting appropriately. [5] X Trustworthy Source HelpGuide Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources. Go to source In a work or business context, insight is also incredibly useful in any area requiring creative thinking as well as conflict resolution. Many of our problematic relationships between co-workers, or between boss and employees arise because we don’t understand each other and the pressures both sides experience. It’s these pressures and how we interact with them that limit compromise and flexibility, so by applying our insights we can find a middle ground as well as new ideas. In a mental well-being context, there comes a stage in most people’s lives that the desires of our chattering mind becomes a common thread in the tapestry of life. As well, the understanding that it makes us unhappy and dissatisfied with what we have dawns upon us. Insight is important here in understanding how to let go of shallow desires by correctly identifying your true needs. As a stress relief tool, eventually what insight helps us to do is to learn what stress actually is, how to let it go of it, as well as forgive it and to become so practiced in both recognizing and letting go that you just release stress without trying. Then you are free of so many of your daily troubles. In a quality of life tool, what insight practices do eventually reveal is that every moment is absolutely unique and new, that every experience is fresh, even when we are tired, depressed and frustrated. This insight on its own rejuvenates the observation as its not like watching a TV show over and over, although it may seem like it. Its always different, perennially interesting and an opportunity to learn and understand some amazing things.
