guess

Guess is a verb which comes from the Latin word divināre. The concept can be used in different ways and with different nuances according to the context.

If we focus on the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), the first meaning of guessing that is mentioned consists of reveal something that was hidden or in anticipate what is to come.

Guessing may consist of anticipating the future.

How can you guess

It is important to note that the idea of ​​guessing can refer to various types of processes. If we focus on the relief of a piece of information that was hidden or unknown, it may be an act linked to the logic or a consequence of random. In the case of predictions, they assume a practice that goes beyond the rational and human capabilities.

Suppose there are two men talking at the door of a theater. It is the first time they see each other; that is, they did not know each other until that moment. In the middle of the talk, one says to the other: "Guess how old I am". The interlocutor, when asked, risks: "You are 54 years old". The data in question turns out to be correct, with which it can be said that the subject managed to guess the answer.

How did you get the age of the other individual? On the one hand, the presence of a random component can be sustained. In any case, it is likely that the respondent has deduced, by physical appearance and by certain comments made by the other person, how old he was.

Now imagine that a woman 25-year-old goes to a supposed fortune teller to find out if she will get a partner. The fortune teller, in this framework, assures him that Yes. Months later, the girl begins a courtship and then marries. There are those who will think that the clairvoyant could guess the future thanks to her magical powers. Others, on the other hand, will maintain that it was a question of odds: it was possible that a young woman, at some point, ends up starting a sentimental bond.

When you anticipate something that will happen based on the analysis of signs, you are not talking about guessing, but forecasting.

An entertainment

It should be noted that the riddles constitute a entertainment or hobby very popular. In these cases, a riddle for the other to try to guess the answer.

A riddle is a enigma which, in its own utterance, presents clues for the listener to guess. The expression is usually done in rhyme.

A riddle classical is the one that asks what element is "round" and resembles a "bottomless barrel": the answer is "ring". Guessing, once again, requires appealing to logic since you only have to mentally review what the objects are "Round" and they lack "bottom".

Differences between guess and forecast

It must be clarified that the fact of making a prediction guessing is not always considered. At this point we must refer to the notion of predict.

When something is anticipated that will happen in the near or distant future by appealing to the interpretation of indications, what is being done is a forecast. A indicationMeanwhile, it is a phenomenon that serves to make an inference about an issue that did not occur or was not perceived.

The meteorologists, in this framework, forecast the state of the weather, you don't guess. From the study of satellite images and other resources, and making use of the knowledge acquired throughout their training, they can anticipate whether it will rain or not, the range of temperatures, etc.