Breaking barriers with language
Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow-Oliver Wendell Holmes
Language. The word brings to mind grammar, the alphabet etc. It is so much more than that; much more than just words. How big a role languages play, and how much of an impact they have on our collective lives as humans, is astounding.
I have always been fascinated by how languages work. It is amazing how many ways there are, of interpreting and expressing, one idea.
This diversity in the way people perceive and express everything is brought about by the fact that language, as a mode of thought, seems to be what directs a person’s perspective of his surroundings. The impact surroundings themselves have on language though, is inescapable.
Much like, our customs, traditions, and beliefs, even language is dependent on geography and hence culture, which makes it something that is very definitive of a person’s identity. Language is so intricately intertwined with personality, that it is an irrevocably integral part of our identity; there cannot be one without the other.
Very simply put, language is a reflection of the soul; understand a language, and you understand its people, in the true sense of the word “understand”.
Having said that, let me relate my experience with language.
A few years ago, in what I now consider a serendipitous event, a friend of mine introduced me to Japanese, and Korean TV shows. I really took to them, and in no time, I was, for want of a better word, hooked!
After a while of having watched them though, I started sensing a strange sense of kinship with the people in the shows. I say strange, because I, as an Indian, have very less in common with the people of Korea, or Japan; or so I thought!
I wanted to explore the feeling further, so I decided to try and learn the Korean language, Hangul. As I started getting better at reading and writing in Hangul, what came as almost a revelation to me, was how learning a new language as an adult, helped me develop a better sense of empathy. This happy side effect was quite a discovery to my unprepared mind, because I found myself being able to really relate to the people I saw on Korean shows; people who were earlier foreign to me, in every sense.
It made me realize, that between any two people, no matter who they are, for all the differences that one can find, there are bound to be a few similarities, and that is good enough. All we need, is the will to find them, and a little bit of empathy.
When we learn languages as children, we do so with a very unassuming innocence. Our teachers tell us that something is a certain way, and we accept it. We do not question or doubt them.
As we grow up though, we tend to want to find out the “why”, and “how” of things, question assumptions, and understand the implications of what we are learning. To question, and get to the bottom of things, becomes second nature to us as adult, so when we learn languages, we tend to subconsciously reconcile the high-level technicalities of the language, like the structure of sentences, the tone used, the grammar etc. to the feelings or intentions that generate them. We tend to intuitively understand the cause-and-result relationship between emotions, and the uttered word.
That opens our minds to the existence of varying perspectives and helps us accept different points of view. It changes how we respond to situations, as we will have the ability to give our counterparts the benefit of doubt, and curb instinctive judgement.
I have found that the ability to be accepting, really improves the overall quality of conversation; makes it more productive.
Especially in the corporate world, with so many different perspectives and ways of approaching challenges, so many different opinions and ideas coming together in teams, there are bound to be multiple ways of interpreting every piece of information. It leads to redundancy in communication and hence, loss of efficiency. I think empathy, and delayed judgement, are key to ensure streamlined communication. It helps us understand where a person is coming from, rather than just the words they are saying.
To re-iterate what I have said before, language is an external manifestation of the most basic part of a person, the most honest and raw representation of identity. At first glance, it may seem like what division among people is based on, but it is really an opportunity to connect with our fellow beings at a deeper, more basic level. That, I think, is because irrespective of what languages we speak, we are all governed, and bound together by the language of humanity, and any pursuit of linguistic understanding must be done with the acceptance of that fact.
Simply put, languages present the opportunity for both, division, and oneness; Diversity, and unity, based on how we choose to approach, and understand it.
The choice to differentiate and classify ourselves, based on the language we speak, or unify ourselves on the basis of humanity, is up to every individual to make.
Bridging gaps, and reducing losses in translation, are what will help us find unity in diversity, and communication is the key to that.
Understanding language is, I believe, what we need, to be able to tap the full potential of communication, and make diversity our pride, and something to be celebrated, rather than a difference, that will divide us.
People say there should be a global language to preserve unity, but any language that is imposed, will lose soul, and be superficial. I think we need to generalize the intention to find unity among us, and not the language itself. Instead of creating a new language to unify us, let us consciously make the decision to learn the existing languages of our fellow beings, and break barriers by truly understanding each other.
We have a phrase in Sanskrit -vasudhaiva kutumbakam. It means the whole world is one, basically conveying the oneness of humanity. Vasudhaiva kutumbakam, but to paraphrase a common saying, change begins with the self.
So let us all make the decision to learn new languages, and encourage the idea among children as well because, “we must be the change we wish to see in the world”.