Depends on the desired certainty. I haven’t yet written a confused post about ornithopters on a forum whose understanding of “ornithopter” differs significantly from the popular usage, so this example isn’t that much illuminating.
The best way to ascertain that I interpret a word the same way as others do is to engage in discussions. By reading only it’s going to be more difficult.
I wouldn’t think it’d be all that difficult in absolute terms in this case, but even if it is, then read a bit, ask questions and engage in discussions, and hold off on making speeches until you can reasonably infer you know what’s going on.
But how does he recognise when he already knows what “rational” means here?
Same way anyone else does? How do you recognize when you know what “ornithopter” means?
Depends on the desired certainty. I haven’t yet written a confused post about ornithopters on a forum whose understanding of “ornithopter” differs significantly from the popular usage, so this example isn’t that much illuminating.
The best way to ascertain that I interpret a word the same way as others do is to engage in discussions. By reading only it’s going to be more difficult.
I wouldn’t think it’d be all that difficult in absolute terms in this case, but even if it is, then read a bit, ask questions and engage in discussions, and hold off on making speeches until you can reasonably infer you know what’s going on.