I grok you innerstanding, geddit?
I grok you innerstanding, geddit?
usage of words neologised if not eulogised
There is a legalistically narcissistic subculture in which the verb to innerstand is currently gaining currency. I do not think they invented it (I’ll leave that deep dive into it’s prior art to another day).
The usage betrays the general self-focus or self-absorption, some subcultures and/or pervertagencies are prone to. It’s all very doctrinally based, i.e. rashly born and dogma grabbing.
Thus among members and dilletantes of the sovereign citizen movement the use is a bit inchoate and thus incoherent. (Reminds me of stage two in the appropriation of knowledge frameworks used in some sociologies).
In recent Human Resources patois or trade jargon innerstand is used in contrast to understand and thus overstand, but where the hierarchy is less legally binding so to speak, compared to its use by sovereign citizens.
In HR innerstand is used more situationally contingent between team members (obviously workplaces are hierarchies often.) Such that for Human Resources in conversation with their peeps innerstand comes close to a New Age version of what Heinlein implied in the verb ‘to grok’. Which even in Heinlein had more empathy involved than in sovereign citizen usage of innerstand.
Innerstand is also like “ASSENT” … —the Stoic-core attitude gone mad.
For sovereign citizens “to understand” means to assent to stand under another’s command or control.
“Do you understand?” shouts the boss.
To reply yes “I innerstand” means to say both you are not the boss of me, and your whole way of talking is rejected because I innerstand what you are really trying to do here. I am a sage. I know the truth. By innerstanding, one groks the entire situation (perhaps without the empathy) into one’s very being.
No man is an island. Challenge ACCEPTED!
In this way to innerstand means in our shared reality, not in the sad reality of some science fiction novel about ubik gone actually insane, to incorporate conspiracy feelings, and project them onto some poor sap of a police officer who pulled you over because you printed your own car registration plates so you can ‘travel’ in your natural person and not be ‘driving’ your CORPORATE PERSON.
To say “to innerstand” is thus also a safe word, a pseudo-legalistic prophylactic, and magical in the sense that it not going to work. Unless they do of course.
For sovereign citizens your name in capitals refers to your CORPORATE PERSON not the real you. By rejecting the CORPORATE PERSON the sovereign citizen declares their sovereignty by innerstanding. Geddit?
For those of us, for whom an anarchist persuasion has been attractive, I do see some impulse here of the liberal changes which promote the individual, and which happened to create post-medieval societies, but the depth of doctrinal narcissism involved in these movements both exacerbates and negates that tradition.
A similar legalistic subculture exists in German speaking regions called the Reichsbürger. They hark back to, for example, the Holy Roman Empire as the truly legitimate power, and wish to re-institute some form of the medieval ‘organic’ and feudal subjectivities rather than sovereignty for everyone like the sovereign citizens
(all animals are equal but some show a natural nobility by wanting to en-serf others).
They reject a common understanding in preference to an older overstanding. Innerstanding would be anathema to them.
Sovereign citizens live in a legalistic narcissism which seeks to undo the enlightenment using enlightenment’s tools. Not that they are all necessarily actual narcissists or psychopaths, nor even would it necessarily be more attractive to actual psychopaths.
It is some sort of doctrinal narcissistic strange attracter, where a certain legalistic form of critique is pushed into an insane extremity. Bereft of any notice that we build the world together based on common understandings which have a history and/or tradition all of their own.
It all reminds me of panarchy in full force. See box of my writing on that topic.
A panarchy of relativism : and the meta of me and you
Freedom to/from liberty… —lack thereof
Agency : agency recognises the world we live in, not the one we fight over.
Agency and mores : If agency is more than (freedom to/from) what are its mores?
What chat AI from some LLM says about comparing innerstand to grok says
While both "innerstand" and Robert A. Heinlein's term "grok" convey a sense of understanding that goes beyond conventional comprehension, they originate from different contexts and carry distinct nuances.
Origin and Context:
Innerstand: This term is associated with certain subcultures, particularly the sovereign citizen movement and similar groups, as mentioned earlier. It's a deliberate linguistic choice within these fringe legalistic ideologies to signify a unique, esoteric understanding of legal and societal concepts.
Grok: Coined by Robert A. Heinlein in his science fiction novel "Stranger in a Strange Land," the term "grok" is used by a fictional Martian culture to express a profound, holistic understanding or deep empathy with a concept or entity. Heinlein's use of "grok" extends beyond legal or societal contexts and encompasses a broader spectrum of comprehension.
Semantic Implications:
Innerstand: The use of "innerstand" often carries a sense of rebellion against mainstream language and authority. It implies a rejection of conventional legal and societal norms in favor of a perceived higher, personal understanding.
Grok: "Grok" conveys a sense of intimate and complete understanding, suggesting a merging of the self with the object or idea being understood. It emphasizes empathy, connection, and a more spiritual or philosophical depth of comprehension.
Cultural Influence:
Innerstand: The term is specific to certain subcultures, particularly those with anti-establishment and fringe ideologies, such as sovereign citizens and similar groups in various countries.
Grok: "Grok" has gained cultural significance beyond its initial literary context. It has been adopted and adapted in various fields and subcultures to express a deep, intuitive understanding. The term has found its way into popular culture and is sometimes used to describe a profound, all-encompassing understanding of complex concepts.
In summary, while both "innerstand" and "grok" convey a sense of understanding that goes beyond the ordinary, they arise from different origins and have distinct connotations. "Innerstand" is associated with a specific subculture and is often used in a rebellious, anti-establishment context, while "grok" is a more versatile term that originated in science fiction but has transcended its literary roots to convey a broader and more universally applicable concept of deep understanding.