The third stage is Understanding, which consists of analyzing the meaning of what we
have heard and understanding symbols we have seen and heard. We must analyze the
stimuli we have perceived. Symbolic stimuli are not only words, they can be sounds like
applause or even sights, like a blue uniform that have symbolic meanings as well. To do
this, we have to stay in the right context and understand the intended meaning. The
meaning attached to these symbols is a function of our past associations and of the
context in which the symbols occur for successful interpersonal communication: the
listener must understand the intended meaning and the context assumed by the sender.