Third Barrier: Misunderstood Word

A Word Not Understood or Wrongly Understood

The third and most important barrier is the misunderstood word.

“Mis” means not or wrongly. “Misunderstood” means not understood or wrongly understood. A misunderstood word is a word which is not understood or a word which is wrongly understood.

Have you ever been reading a book or a report, gotten to the end of the page and couldn’t remember what you read?

Therein lies the phenomena of the misunderstood word—all becomes distinctly blank beyond a word not understood or wrongly understood.

It can make you feel blank or washed out. It can make you feel “not there” and a sort of a nervous upset feeling can follow after that. 

The matter is far more critical than one might surmise and of the three barriers it is the misunderstood that bears most upon human relations, the mind and understanding.

It is the misunderstood word that establishes aptitude—or lack of it.

It produces a vast panorama of reactions and is the prime factor involved with stupidity. It also determines whether or not one can actually perform a learned skill, and to what degree of proficiency.

All of these are the result of one or more words or symbols not understood or wrongly understood.

The misunderstood word can stop a student in his tracks completely. Knowing how to determine when there is a misunderstood word or symbol, how to find it and how to handle it are critical to the success of any student.