From: Jeff Gostin <jgostin@eternal.pha.pa.us>
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 94 12:51:26 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: (None)
Message-ID: <940616145000R3bjgostin@eternal.pha.pa.us>
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osten@hurricane.seas.ucla.edu writes:

>> It does my heart good to hear someone use the term 'grok' -- I don't
>> hear many folks use that term very much anymore.   ,-)
> What does it mean?
     Well, it comes from the book Stranger In A Strange Land. It's a
martian word that implies an understanding of something. The main
character was right when he said that there is no human word for it.

     At the risk of starting a whole philosophical debate, here goes the
longer version:

     When you Grok something, you understand its purpose and existance
instinctually, spiritually, and intellectually. It's not something you can
explain concretely, it's just something who's concept is so thoroughly
understandable as to be outside the realms of that which is explanable. A
good example is this: A child groks that his parents will take care of
him, and that they will protect him and keep him safe.  He couldn't
explain to you why he feels that way. He just groks the meaning of the
relationship. That, IMHO, is GROK. It's an understanding that lies so
deeply within you that it is inseperable from your state of being.


                                        --Jeff
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