Think about it

- A side note from my journal during my scripture study today, I was writing questions I have about various doctrines and principles of the gospel, which I may share later, once I've actually gotten the answers :) -

It's so frustrating to me when people give me curt answers these sorts of questions. Of course I know the answers, but if I don't ponder - really ponder - them, how will I know for myself? It's good to have answers, but I feel like sometimes it's so good to just know for my self that those answers are true. Sure, you can tell me the fourth root of thirty-six squared is equal to six, but how am I ever supposed to understand that without thinking through the process of it all? I've got to break it down in my head, take everything step by step, come to understand and know that each step is right. If I know the fourth root of something is equal to that same something to the one fourth power (just like the square root is equal to something to the one-half power), then that at least gives me something. I'm limited here because I don't know how to write these equations on a blog, but I could go step by step with this problem until I really had a hard core understanding of it. I feel like the best way for me to actually get something is to work through the process from start to finish on my own. Or even better, try to teach that process to someone else.

On the other hand, sometimes it is enough to know something like m is the slope of the line in y=mx+b. Okay, actually I really would prefer to know the why of that too. Just once I do know, I really feel okay with going forward and in the future just remembering that I do know why that concept works every single time.

Anyways, people with "'a = b' just because 'a = b'" sorts of answers are okay I guess, and I know I should tolerate, because maybe they've already figured out all the in between stuff for themselves. I just really admire those who question it though, "is A really equal to B? How can I be sure?" And then they go out and show why they are sure about it.