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Imperfect Creatures
If we are in perfect health, it is not often that we think about our senses.
Sure, your eyes may get tired after staring for a long time at the monitor, and your ears may be ringing if you get too close to the construction site.
Could you imagine, though, living without one of your senses?
Let’s not be too cruel; let’s say that you suddenly lost hearing. That’s undoubtedly not as bad as losing your sight.
If you could still look at people’s faces, even without hearing what they say, you would be most successful at interpreting their intentions.
Don’t believe me? Try watching an entire movie with the sound turned off. It would be a child’s play.
In real life, your task would be a bit more challenging – the actors tend to over accentuate their facial expressions.
In cultures that emphasize the importance of controlling your emotions, it would be far more challenging.
Good luck then!
Now let’s assume that you can communicate with others in writing only.
No, you are not allowed to use emoticons. Do you think that without any additional context, others would be able to understand you correctly?
To some extent, sure. Given the fact that many interpersonal problems are a product of miscommunication, though, this task may be more complicated than you would expect.
Now imagine that you intend to communicate with people from different cultures.
Let’s say you want to meet with your long-lost father from Ukraine, whereas you’ve spent your entire life in New England.
Your best bet would be to rely on translation services in Boston.
Your life experiences, beliefs, and traditions would vary.
Doing otherwise would lead to some confusion. If you want to learn about famous cases of translation mistakes, check out this infographic, provided by Lighthouse Translations.
