The search then, is not ‘out amongst the myriad’, but instead ‘back there’; A stripping away and a ‘delving return’ towards a ‘first principle’, in the hope of finding one that might be fruitful to grow.
Understanding to me tends to be more visual than linguistic; A vast collection of snap shots, building a picture that is under constant revision. If a piece of the jigsaw appears to fit really well then I would say ‘I understand more’; At least, I have a different relationship to the thing. It is all referential to what has gone before though. A real house of cards!
I like Feynman’s ‘first principle’, it is it’s own-in built safety valve. My own proclivity is for those principles that seed the most far reaching, all encompassing, fun and adventurous ‘branchings’.
As they say though, ‘The map is not the territory’.
A decent map is only something to get you through the journey relatively unscathed; Hopefully having seen a few of the ‘must see’ sights on the way.
