Got it?

Neal is grading a small essay he had students write near the end of the semester about a David Quammen essay. One student wrote, “I don’t like it because I didn’t understand it.”

There should come a point in time in a mature person’s life when s/he realizes that not understanding canNOT translate into dislike. If you don’t understand something, how can you then decide that it’s silly or stupid or something you don’t like? You don’t even understand the point of the thing, so how exactly does that work?

A lot of people I went to college with would say, “I hated The Matrix!”

My question back was always, “Did you even understand the movie?”

“No.”

Okay, then. I’ve never figured out how this even works. I think people are being taught that if they don’t understand something, saying that they hate it makes it seem as though they don’t WANT to understand it: “I hate math! I can’t do it,” we often hear from children who are struggling with mathematical concepts. They hate it mainly because they feel they can’t do it. I’ve helped children grasp concepts that make them smile and say, “Math isn’t so bad, is it?” No, no it isn’t…

If you “get” it.

We need to be teaching kids that not understanding something should translate into finding assistance or getting help to learn the basic principles of understanding the concept (be it a math theory or a movie). We need to teach them that not understanding isn’t a reason for giving up; instead it’s a reason to work harder to understand the principles we’re being taught. And simply saying “I hate it” doesn’t mean that you get a free pass in life when you really mean “I don’t get it” instead. Hating something requires a thought process that isn’t available without understanding.

As I’ve heard from many teachers in my past: “If you don’t like something, you still have to have valid reasons behind it.” Why was the movie bad? Why don’t you like the book? If you don’t know why, then you don’t dislike it. You just don’t understand it enough to appreciate it (or truly dislike it).