An observation I can think of is when I hear other people
speak a language different from mine. For instance, I was in a restaurant or a
salon once and the people around were speaking some other language. I thought
they were mad because they were speaking quite loudly that it almost seemed
like they were yelling at each other. I was just listening and looking at some
of their faces which appeared to be a bit serious. But then seconds after I had
concluded that there was bad blood between them, they all started laughing
about something! So, that was definitely a situation where a conclusion I made
had been incorrect. Thinking scientifically did not really come to mind then
because I was pretty much misjudging them. I guess how I could apply science to
this is by asking myself questions and thinking of the situation first before
making an assumption or a hypothesis. I should observe them well first or
consider other possible hypotheses before concluding that they were angry at
each other. I guess I can also apply the idea of empiricism which means that we
can gain knowledge just through our senses (since I listened to them and
watched their expressions).
Hello! I really thought your post was great! I think it is true that cultural differences can lead to misunderstanding and incorrect conclusions. I know for myself, my dad was playing “got your nose” with me when I was a child. My whole Guatemalan side of my family was appalled. Later we find out, the hand signal for “got your nose” is like giving the finger in their culture! They came to a very incorrect conclusion that my father was flipping his young daughter the bird! Things like talking aggressively also occur in places like the east coast where my other side of the family is from. People in NY and NJ talk at you, not to you. It can be somewhat startling at, but to those who are used to it, it is a common thing. An onlooker could come to more incorrect conclusions that people are upset at eachother when they are not.
ReplyDeleteThis totally reminds me of when I go to get my nails done. The ladies always are speaking in whispers in Vietnamese and I never know what they are saying. It usually makes me uncomfortable because my instinct is to think that they are talking about me or else they would speak English to each other so that I could understand them. But, I know all of the ladies and they are so nice to me all of the time. So, I think that I over analyze my initial observations and feelings of what they are saying. I think that most of the time they are just talking to each other and they do so in Vietnamese because it is their first language and easier for them. I can be so culturally wrapped around myself that my observations lead me to believe something that isn't necessarily true. I really like how you describe your own experiences as well.
ReplyDeleteHi, I understand where you're coming from because I understand Chinese but sometimes I'm with friends who don't. When they ask me what the people are talking about, I tell them and they tell me that it was not what they thought. They tell me that they always sound angry because of the tones the words have. I think the same when I hear languages I don't understand. I like to watch facial expressions though. I always assume wrongly about Vietnamese though because I think they sound upset all the time. Or I assume what a word might mean when it sounds close to Chinese.
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