I was listening to Steve Hargadon’s podcast while I was working out this evening. He was interviewing Gary Stager. I was getting more and more annoyed which probably made my exercise time much more productive.
Stager, like many of those who I think of as “keynoters”, continually used the phrase – “those who get it”. It is not that I disagree with many of Stager’s points, I just find a constructivist or anyone for that matter creating a we and them mentality (those who get it and those who do not) rather than offering me some useful data I might use to evaluate the arguments being advanced as philosophically illogical. I was always taught that constructivists propose we each build our own truths (radical) or at least negotiate truths through interaction (social constructivists). I think the phrase provides a way of relating to an audience that implies some of us REALLY understand and the rest of you must be clueless or motivated by factors other than truth, justice and the American way. As in, if I cannot transfer my mental model to you or your mental model does not match mine, then you do not get it.
So, a more useful and accurate phrase might be “those who agree with me” see the world this way. Some of you may see the world in a different way.
In general I am not offended by casual language. I am not certain I should be offended by any individual using this phrase. Obviously, I enjoy playing with words in a casual way. I do not, however, appreciate subtle ways of being pretentious – intended or not.