Universal Sounds: Cross Cultural Communication | Teny Avakian | TEDxYSMU
Summary
TLDRThe speaker explores cultural differences and similarities through the lens of the Bow Wow Theory, which suggests that languages evolved from mimicking animal sounds, leading to diverse interpretations. A personal anecdote about a misunderstanding in a store highlights how fear of the unknown can arise from linguistic differences. The speaker proposes a hypothetical scenario where universal sounds for emotions and questions could foster greater tolerance and understanding among cultures, potentially leading to more harmonious global communication.
Takeaways
- đ The speaker has experienced various cultures and noticed both similarities and differences among them.
- đ¶ The Bow Wow theory suggests that languages might have originated from mimicking animal sounds, leading to different languages due to varied interpretations of these sounds.
- đšđł Different cultures mimic the same animal sounds differently, such as 'Wang Wang' in China and 'Huff Huff' in Armenia for a dog's bark.
- đ§ The theory extends to other sounds, not just from animals, but also from nature and human expressions, which can be perceived and mimicked differently across cultures.
- đšâđŠ An amusing personal anecdote illustrates a communication breakdown between the speaker's father and a cashier due to cultural differences in sound interpretation.
- đš The story highlights how unfamiliar sounds can cause fear and misunderstanding, as they are unexpected and unknown to the listener.
- đŁ The speaker differentiates between languages and sounds, emphasizing that while languages are diverse, the underlying sounds we hear are universal.
- đ± A hypothetical scenario is presented where universal sounds for emotions and actions are taught globally, potentially fostering greater tolerance and understanding.
- đ The idea of a universal sound system could lead to improved cross-cultural communication and reduce fear of the unknown by creating a common auditory understanding.
- đŽ If the universal sound concept were adopted, the speaker's father might be met with tolerance instead of fear in his future interactions.
- đ The speech concludes with a call for a more tolerant and understanding global society through the shared understanding of universal sounds.
Q & A
What is the Bow Wow theory mentioned in the script?
-The Bow Wow theory suggests that languages are derived from people mimicking animal sounds, and because different people hear these sounds differently, this has led to the development of various languages.
How do different cultures mimic the sound of a dog barking according to the script?
-In the script, it is mentioned that in China, people mimic a dog's bark as 'Wang Wang', in Armenia as 'Huff Huff', and in Italy as 'Bao Bao', highlighting the cultural variations in sound mimicry.
What is the significance of the story about the speaker's father and the cashier of Asian origins?
-The story illustrates the communication barrier and the fear of the unknown that can arise from cultural and linguistic differences, as the father's response 'huh' was misunderstood by the cashier.
Why did the cashier react with fear when the speaker's father responded with 'huh'?
-The cashier reacted with fear because the sound 'huh' was unknown and unexpected to her, causing her to perceive the interaction as strange and potentially threatening.
What is the main idea the speaker is proposing regarding universal sounds for emotions and feelings?
-The speaker is proposing the idea of agreeing on universal sounds for emotions and feelings, which could potentially lead to greater tolerance and understanding among people from different cultures.
How does the speaker suggest we could improve cross-cultural communication?
-The speaker suggests that if everyone taught their children the same sounds for certain emotions or situations, it could lead to a more tolerant and understanding generation that communicates better across cultures.
What is the potential outcome if parents worldwide taught their children the same sounds for specific emotions?
-The potential outcome is a new generation of people who are more tolerant and understanding towards each other, especially towards other cultures, and possibly being able to communicate using these universal sounds.
How does the speaker's father's interaction in the store differ from what it could be if universal sounds were adopted?
-If universal sounds were adopted, the father's response with 'huh' would likely be met with tolerance, sympathy, and understanding instead of fear and rejection.
What is the speaker's opinion on the diversity of languages?
-The speaker acknowledges that languages can be very diverse and unique, but emphasizes that despite this diversity, all humans hear the same basic sounds.
What is the role of fear in the interaction between the speaker's father and the cashier?
-Fear plays a role in the interaction by causing the cashier to react negatively to the unfamiliar sound made by the speaker's father, highlighting the human tendency to fear the unknown and unexpected.
What does the speaker mean by 'sounds that my dad was making in response to her questions were very unknown to her'?
-The speaker is referring to the cultural and linguistic misunderstanding where the father's response, which was intended to be a question or confusion, was perceived as strange and frightening due to the lack of shared understanding of the sound 'huh'.
Outlines
đ Cultural Interpretation of Sounds
The speaker discusses their fascination with cultural differences and similarities, particularly focusing on the Bow Wow theory which suggests that languages originated from mimicking animal sounds. They illustrate the theory with examples of how different cultures interpret the same sound differently, such as the sound a dog makes. The speaker recounts a personal anecdote involving a language barrier with a cashier of Asian origin, highlighting the fear and misunderstanding that can arise from such differences. The story serves to emphasize the need for tolerance and understanding across cultures.
đ Universal Sounds for Communication
Building on the previous discussion, the speaker proposes the idea of adopting universal sounds for emotions and feelings, including animal sounds, as a means to foster greater tolerance and understanding globally. They speculate on the potential impact of such a practice, suggesting that it could lead to a more harmonious and communicative society. The speaker imagines a future scenario where their father, using a universal sound, is met with tolerance and understanding rather than fear and rejection, indicating a shift in societal attitudes towards cultural differences.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄBow Wow Theory
đĄCultural Interpretation
đĄMimicry
đĄDiversity
đĄCommunication Barriers
đĄFear of the Unknown
đĄCultural Tolerance
đĄOnomatopoeia
đĄUniversal Sounds
đĄPersonal Anecdote
đĄCultural Misunderstanding
Highlights
The speaker's fascination with cultural similarities and differences.
Introduction to the Bow Wow theory of language origins.
Cultural variations in mimicking a dog's bark.
The impact of sound perception on language diversity.
Anecdote about a cultural misunderstanding in a store.
The fear of the unknown and unexpected in communication.
The distinction between languages and universal sounds.
The concept of teaching universal sounds for emotions and questions.
The potential for increased tolerance and understanding through universal sounds.
A hypothetical scenario of a father using a universal sound in the future.
The applause indicating audience engagement and approval.
The importance of communication in bridging cultural gaps.
The role of personal experiences in shaping perspectives on language and culture.
The potential for a unified approach to sound mimicking to enhance global communication.
The exploration of the psychological impact of sound on human interaction.
The idea that a shared sound system could lead to a more tolerant generation.
The transformative power of sound in cultural and linguistic understanding.
Transcripts
[Applause]
having traveled a lot in my life I've
had the great opportunity to come across
many different cultures and it always
fascinated me how similar we could be
but at the same time so different but
what fascinated me even more was how
such cultures how cultures could
interpret the same thing but differently
for example I started looking into this
phenomenon and I came across the Bow Wow
theory so what is the Bow Wow theory
this theory says that languages are
derived from people mimicking animal
sounds and because people hear animal
sounds differently therefore we have
different languages we hear the same
sounds though when a dog barks in
Armenia in China Brazil Italy the US
where we're all hearing the same dog
barking and it pretty much sounds like
something roof right but in China when
they want to mimic the sound of a dog
barking
they say Wang Wang in Armenia we say
Huff Huff us woof woof
Italy Bao Bao
[Music]
and it's not only animal sounds it could
be a river it could be running water it
could be a baby crying some parts of the
world the baby crying could be heard as
boohoo other places wham wow so I want
to tell you an interesting story that
happened with me when I was 10 11 years
old me and my father went to the store
to buy some office supplies now just to
give you some context
my father is Armenian from Iran so we go
to the store we walk around we get
everything that we need we make our way
out to the checkout and the cashier that
was standing there was a very nice lady
of Asian origins so as she's checking us
out she asks a question to my dad and to
that question my dad answers with a huh
now just this lady was startled at best
and distraught but she continued to
check us out and ask the question again
and this is where it gets better so my
dad this time around understood what she
was saying and replied with a so now
this lady thinks that were crazy and
wants nothing to do with us and I
remember her face like it was yesterday
I remember the emotion that was on her
face and it was fear why fear because we
humans people tend to fear the unknown
and unexpected and the sounds that my
dad was making in response to her
questions were very unknown to her and
clearly unexpected now I want to make a
distinguished I want to distinguish
between languages and sounds because
languages can be very diverse and can be
very unique but we all hear the same
sounds
so what if we can agree on universal
sounds for emotions feelings even
animals let's imagine if I wake up
tomorrow morning and teach my kids that
if they want to mimic the sound of a dog
they have to say Huff huff or if they're
in a situation where they're confused or
I want to ask a question they can say
huh
and what if every single parent in the
world did the same thing what if
everyone starting from tomorrow taught
their children the same sounds with this
lead to a generation to a new generation
of people that were now more tolerant
and understanding towards each other and
specifically towards other cultures
would this mean that we would be able to
communicate with other cultures using
sound now I'm thinking
my dad if we all agree to do this and if
my dad walks into a store ten years from
now and encounters the same situation
and he's asked a question and he replies
with his hood because he thinks that
means what would he then be met with
tolerance sympathy and understanding
versus fear and rejection thank you
[Applause]
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