Hello, readers! I am back in business again after hearing from some of you and how much my blog has uplifted you. Thank you for your support!
Let's start this again!
My wife and I were talking about how when she told her employer and co-workers that she is learning Korean and that she knows how to read but doesn't understand anything, they were very confused because they didn't understand how that could be possible. How is that not possible?
For example, can you read "hypothalamohypophysis" and not know what it means? Probably. If you know how to read a word in English and not know what that means, how is it impossible for someone to know how to read and not understand in another language? What about "avec"? Can you read it? Do you know what it means?
I do not believe that people are ignorant...actually I might think that a little bit. However, I do think that people are so attached/engulfed to/in their own world/paradigm that they have a hard time looking past what they know. If they were to take one step outside of their world and try to understand, they would be more understanding and patient toward others.
Think about it: when you see someone who asks a lot of questions in class, does he/she really understand English if he/she is not from the US or does that person really having a hard time understanding? Just because you understand it, doesn't mean everyone does. I am not saying that I am perfect at understanding or empathizing with people; however, what I am saying is that we need to look at our world, our paradigm and evaluate if we are trapped in our own world/box and are not willing to come out.
Even me talking about the story above about my wife's co-workers says that I am in my own world. However, if we were to recognize and accept it, we would be more willing to open up to others and at least try to understand other people's world.
Let's start this again!
My wife and I were talking about how when she told her employer and co-workers that she is learning Korean and that she knows how to read but doesn't understand anything, they were very confused because they didn't understand how that could be possible. How is that not possible?
For example, can you read "hypothalamohypophysis" and not know what it means? Probably. If you know how to read a word in English and not know what that means, how is it impossible for someone to know how to read and not understand in another language? What about "avec"? Can you read it? Do you know what it means?
I do not believe that people are ignorant...actually I might think that a little bit. However, I do think that people are so attached/engulfed to/in their own world/paradigm that they have a hard time looking past what they know. If they were to take one step outside of their world and try to understand, they would be more understanding and patient toward others.
Think about it: when you see someone who asks a lot of questions in class, does he/she really understand English if he/she is not from the US or does that person really having a hard time understanding? Just because you understand it, doesn't mean everyone does. I am not saying that I am perfect at understanding or empathizing with people; however, what I am saying is that we need to look at our world, our paradigm and evaluate if we are trapped in our own world/box and are not willing to come out.
Even me talking about the story above about my wife's co-workers says that I am in my own world. However, if we were to recognize and accept it, we would be more willing to open up to others and at least try to understand other people's world.