The Transformative Power of Words | Josephine Lee | TEDxCulverCity

Summary

The speaker explores the concept that language shapes our perception of the world, using the example of the Himba tribe who cannot distinguish blue due to lacking a word for it. They illustrate how cultural differences, like the Korean word 'nun Chi' for situational awareness, affect communication. The speaker shares a personal story of using respectful language with juvenile delinquents, transforming their behavior, emphasizing the power of words to change reality and people's lives.

Takeaways

• 🎲 The game 'I Spy' was used to illustrate the point that ancient cultures might not have been able to identify the color blue due to the absence of a word for it in their languages.
• 🌐 Historical texts from places like ancient Greece and China show a lack of a specific word for the color blue, suggesting different perceptions of color in the past.
• 🧬 A study with the Himba tribe, which lacks a word for blue, demonstrated that language can influence color perception, as tribe members struggled to distinguish blue from green.
• 🌿 The Himba tribe has many words to describe different shades of green, and when tested with a chart dominated by green, they could easily identify the outlier color.
• 🌈 The power of language to shape perception is highlighted by the fact that a single word like 'blue' can change how we see the world around us.
• 🌍 Cultural differences are evident in the unique words that languages have for certain concepts, such as 'nun Chi' in Korean, which refers to the ability to read between the lines.
• 🏞 The number of words used to describe something can reflect its cultural importance, as seen in the many words for ants in Brazil and for sweet potatoes in Hawaii.
• 💰 In the United States, the abundance of words related to money signifies its significance in the culture.
• 🗣️ Words have the power to shape reality, influence what we see, and affect our beliefs about ourselves and others.
• 👤 The speaker's personal experience volunteering at a juvenile hall underscored the impact that addressing individuals with respect, using the term 'gentleman', had on their behavior and attitude.
• 🔊 The importance of the freedom of speech and the responsibility that comes with it is emphasized, as words have the potential to cause significant change, both positive and negative.

Q & A

What game is mentioned in the script and what is its significance in the context?

The game mentioned is 'I spy with my little eye,' which is used to illustrate the point that the perception of color can differ across cultures and times, as ancient texts from Greece and China did not have a word for the color blue.

What theory do researchers propose regarding the relationship between language and color perception?

Researchers propose that the absence of a word for a color in a language might affect the ability of speakers of that language to perceive that color, as demonstrated by the difficulty the Himba tribe had in distinguishing blue from green.

How did the experiment with the Himba tribe challenge their ability to recognize colors?

The experiment presented the Himba tribe with a color chart containing 11 squares of green and one of blue. The tribe members had difficulty identifying the blue square, suggesting that their language's lack of a word for blue affected their color perception.

What was the outcome when the researchers reversed the experiment with the color chart?

When the researchers reversed the experiment, showing a color chart with 12 squares of green and asking the Himba tribe to pick out the different color, the tribe members were able to identify the color almost immediately, highlighting their heightened sensitivity to green due to the multiple words in their language for different shades of green.

What is the cultural significance of the Korean word 'nun Chi' and how does it relate to communication?

The Korean word 'nun Chi' refers to a person's ability to read between the lines or understand a situation contextually. It is significant in high-context cultures like Korea, where non-verbal cues and context are crucial for communication, unlike in low-context cultures like the United States where explicit verbal communication is emphasized.

How does the number of words used to describe something in a culture reflect its importance?

The number of words used to describe something indicates the level of importance and attention given to that aspect in a culture. For example, the Himba tribe's many words for green show their heightened awareness of different shades of green, while the numerous words for money in American English reflect the importance of financial matters in the culture.

What is the speaker's personal experience with cultural differences in language?

The speaker moved from South Korea to the United States at the age of 10 and noticed that certain Korean words, like 'nun Chi,' did not have direct translations in English. This experience highlighted the differences in communication styles and cultural values between high-context and low-context cultures.

What impact did changing the way the speaker addressed the juvenile delinquents have on their behavior?

By addressing the juvenile delinquents as 'gentlemen,' the speaker observed a significant change in their behavior. The youths sat up straighter, spoke more respectfully, and showed kindness and attention, indicating that the use of respectful language can influence behavior positively.

How does the speaker's experience at the juvenile hall relate to the power of words?

The speaker's experience at the juvenile hall demonstrates the power of words to change perceptions and behavior. By using the term 'gentlemen,' the speaker was able to elicit a more respectful and dignified response from the juvenile delinquents, showing that words can have a profound impact on how individuals see themselves and act.

What is the broader message of the script regarding the power and responsibility of language?

The script conveys the message that language is not just a tool for communication but also a powerful force that can shape reality, influence perceptions, and even change behavior. It emphasizes the responsibility that comes with the freedom of speech, as words have consequences and can be used to uplift or marginalize.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 The Power of Language and Perception

This paragraph explores the intriguing concept that language can shape our perception of the world. It starts with a playful reference to the game 'I Spy' and the hypothetical difficulty of guessing the color blue if one were from an ancient civilization that lacked a word for it. The speaker then delves into historical texts from ancient Greece and China, suggesting that these cultures did not have a specific term for the color blue, which may have affected their ability to perceive it. To test this theory, researchers conducted an experiment with the Himba tribe, who also did not have a word for blue. The tribe members struggled to distinguish blue from green in a color chart, but excelled when identifying differences in green shades, highlighting the tribe's rich vocabulary for that color. The speaker then reflects on her own experience moving from Korea to the United States, noting the cultural significance of certain words like 'nun Chi,' which describes the ability to read between the lines in a high-context culture. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the impact of language on our reality, using examples of cultures with specific vocabularies for things they value, such as ants in Brazil or sweet potatoes in Hawaii, and the abundance of words for money in America, suggesting a cultural preoccupation with financial matters.

05:01

🗣️ The Transformative Power of a Single Word

In this paragraph, the speaker recounts her experience volunteering at a juvenile hall, where she was initially met with disrespect and defiance from the incarcerated youths. The strict rules of the facility and the harsh reality of the young offenders' situation are highlighted, setting a tense atmosphere. However, a pivotal moment occurs when one of the youths, who had been particularly unruly, reveals his fear of turning 18 and being transferred to an adult prison. This vulnerability humanizes him and prompts the speaker to change her approach. By addressing the youths as 'gentlemen,' she observes a remarkable shift in their behavior, with the group becoming more respectful and attentive. The story culminates with a gesture of kindness from the same young man, who brings a chair for the speaker, embodying the concept of a gentleman. The paragraph concludes with a powerful message about the responsibility that comes with the freedom of speech, emphasizing that words have the capacity to change lives and the world, and urging the audience to consider the impact of their language.

Keywords

💡I Spy

I Spy is a classic guessing game where one person chooses an object and gives clues to others to guess what it is. In the video, it is used metaphorically to illustrate how language and the words we use can shape our perception and ability to identify things, like the color blue, which ancient texts may not have had a word for.

💡Color Perception

Color perception refers to the way humans see and interpret colors. The video script discusses how ancient civilizations might not have been able to perceive the color blue due to the absence of a word to describe it in their languages, suggesting a link between language and visual perception.

💡Himba Tribe

The Himba tribe is mentioned in the script as an example of a group with a language that lacks a word for the color blue. Researchers conducted an experiment with this tribe to test the theory that the absence of a word for a color could affect the ability to perceive it, highlighting the influence of language on cognitive processes.

💡Cultural Differences

Cultural differences are the variations in customs, beliefs, and practices among different societies. The video uses the example of the word 'nun Chi' in Korean, which doesn't have a direct English translation, to show how language reflects and shapes cultural values and behaviors.

💡High Context Culture

A high context culture is one where much of the meaning in communication is conveyed through non-verbal cues and the context of the situation. The video explains that South Korea is a high context culture, emphasizing the importance of non-verbal communication over explicit verbal expression.

💡Low Context Culture

In contrast to high context cultures, a low context culture relies heavily on explicit verbal communication to convey meaning. The United States is described as a low context culture in the video, where words are used to clearly state intentions and meanings.

💡Language and Reality

The concept of language and reality explores how the words we use can shape our understanding and experience of the world. The video suggests that the words we have for certain things can affect what we notice and value, as seen in the examples of the Himba tribe's color perception and the cultural significance of certain words.

💡Juvenile Delinquents

Juvenile delinquents are young offenders who have committed crimes. The video shares a personal story of working with such individuals in a high-security unit, emphasizing the importance of language in changing perceptions and behaviors, as seen when the speaker begins to address the youths as 'gentlemen'.

💡First Amendment

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the freedom of speech among other rights. The video references this amendment to underscore the power and responsibility that comes with the ability to speak and the impact words can have on society.

💡Power of Words

The power of words is a central theme in the video, which posits that the language we use has the capacity to change attitudes, behaviors, and even entire cultures. The speaker argues that words can be used to uplift or marginalize, and they carry a profound responsibility due to their potential impact.

Highlights

The game 'I Spy' was used to illustrate the concept that ancient cultures might not have been able to identify the color blue due to the absence of a word for it in their languages.

Ancient texts from places like Greece and China do not have a specific word for the color blue, suggesting a different perception of colors.

Researchers hypothesize that the lack of a word for blue in ancient languages may have affected the ability to perceive it.

A study with the Himba tribe, which lacks a word for blue, showed difficulty in distinguishing blue from green on a color chart.

The Himba tribe's greater number of words for green allowed them to easily identify a color chart with an outlier green square.

The speaker's personal experience moving from Korea to the United States highlighted the cultural differences in language and perception.

The Korean word 'nun Chi' represents the ability to read between the lines, a concept not directly translatable into English.

High-context cultures like Korea prioritize non-verbal communication, whereas low-context cultures like the United States rely on explicit verbal expression.

The existence or absence of a word can reflect cultural differences and the importance of certain concepts within a society.

In Brazil, a tribe has 29 words for different types of ants, indicating the significance of these creatures in their culture.

Hawaii has 108 words for sweet potatoes, showcasing the cultural importance of this food.

In America, there are over a hundred words related to money, reflecting its cultural significance.

Words can shape our reality and influence how we perceive ourselves and others.

The speaker's volunteer experience at a juvenile hall revealed the power of changing the way we address individuals.

Referring to the juvenile delinquents as 'gentlemen' led to a significant positive change in their behavior and attitude.

The power of words extends beyond communication, affecting how we view and interact with the world.

The speaker emphasizes the responsibility that comes with the freedom of speech, as words have the power to change lives.

Transcripts

let's play game I spy with my little eye

something blue can you guess what that

is okay that was too easy

but if you're playing this round of I

spy with someone from a thousand years

ago they may not have been able to guess

it that quickly if you study ancient

texts from all around the world let's

say from ancient Greece or ancient China

you may notice that there isn't a word

to describe the color blue so the ocean

and the sky and everything we consider

believe today was described in a

different color like a purple or a green

a scientists are saying that because

they didn't have a word to describe the

color blue they may not have been able

to see it so researchers wanted to test

this theory so they went to this tribe

called the Himba tribes that spoke a

language that didn't have a word for the

color blue and they presented them with

a color chart with 11 little squares of

green and one little square of blue and

what they found was that they couldn't

pick out the color that was different

than the others or they had a very

difficult time doing so now when we look

at this color chart it is so obvious

that there are two colors green and blue

so you might think to yourself how is it

possible that they can't see these two

colors but here's the interesting part

the hippo tribe has a lot more words to

describe the color green so the

researchers reversed the experiment and

they showed us a color chart with 12

little squares of green and they asked

us to pick out the color that was

different than the others what do you

think it's a little more difficult isn't

it

but the print the people of the Himba

tribe were able to pick out the color

almost immediately just one word like

the word blue can literally change the

way we see our world if we cannot see

what we can't describe is it possible

then that words can change everything

I moved to the United States from Korea

when I was 10 years old

South Korea and what I noticed right

away was that there are certain of words

in Korean that didn't directly translate

into English for example in Korean

there's a word called none Chi nu Chi is

a person's ability to read between the

lines or read a situation and in Korea

it's almost treated like a sixth sense

so if you say a person doesn't have a

lot of nun Chi it's almost like saying

that this person can't see very well or

hear very well now this word exists in

the Korean language because Korea is a

very high context culture which means

that a person's ability to read context

in a given situation is imperative to

communication so your ability to read

vocal variety facial expressions hand

gestures body movement is far more

important than your ability to interpret

words it's kind of like dating if you

asked her girlfriend babe what's wrong

and she says nothing it's not nothing

but the United States is a low-context

culture which means we we heavily rely

on our words to explicitly explain

exactly what we mean

so nun Chi is not as important in the

American culture which is why this word

doesn't exist the existence of a word or

the lack of existence of a word can

explain an entire cultural difference

between two countries and the number of

words there are to describe a certain

thing can explain how important

something is to a culture so in Brazil

there's this tribe that has 29 words for

ants and they're edible varieties and in

Hawaii there's a hundred and eight words

to say sweet potatoes and I was like wow

that is so cool

I wonder what's important in my culture

and I found out that in America there

are over a hundred words to say money

the words that we assign to people two

places two things can shape our reality

it can change what we see what we

experience what we believe about

ourselves and what we believe about

other people a few years back I

volunteered at the juvenile hall and my

job was to go in once a week and help

these juvenile delinquents with their

homework and I just happened to be

assigned one of the highest security

units which meant that these kids that

are locked up in this unit had committed

some of the worst crimes and a lot of

them are tried as adults to thirty forty

even a lifetime in prison

and there are a lot of rules during

study hall there are not allowed to

stand up there are not allowed to get an

extra pencil they're not allowed to

speak to each other and they were

certainly not allowed to touch anyone

especially not the volunteers now on my

first day I remember walking in and

feeling so uncomfortable

because as i walked in i saw some of

these kids just start to snicker and

whisper disrespectful things under their

breaths and i remember thinking gosh

they're so different than anyone that

i'd ever known and there's this one kid

who was the absolute

first he would never pay attention he

always looked very angry and sometimes

he would just stand up in the middle of

my lecture and start walking away back

to his cell and now he's not allowed to

do that so the guard would stand up and

say you're gonna lose your free time and

you'd say I don't care

and then he'd just walk away now one day

I was working individually with these

kids and I sat next to this kid that

kept standing up and walking away and he

just sat there with his arms crossed and

just stared blankly in complete defiance

and I said look I can't help you if you

won't even try and he just sat there

with his arms crossed and stared blankly

so I stood up to go help someone else

and at that moment he reached up and

touched my arm and remember he's not

supposed to do that

but that touch felt so desperate that I

sat back down and I looked at him and he

said to me I'm scared I'm gonna turn 18

next month and they're gonna transfer me

to the adult prison and I don't know

what they'll do to me there and at that

moment as I watched this tough kid choke

back his tears I realized that he was

about the same age as my little brother

with the same fears and the same anxiety

as any eighteen year old kid would have

in this situation and all I wanted for

him was for someone to show him some

dignity and respect so from then on I

just changed one word and when I

addressed the class I addressed them as

gentleman and you should have seen the

almost immediate difference in their

attitude it was as if he they have never

heard that word been spoken to them

before because they sat up straighter

they spoke more respectfully they were

kind and they paid attention now one day

I was working study hall and

that same kid stood back up and I

thought there he goes but before the

guard could even say anything he walked

over to an empty chair grabbed it and he

placed it behind me and he said Miss

Josephine would you like to have a seat

now that's a gentleman one word can

change everything in the United States

we have the our First Amendment grants

us the freedom of speech but it's not

just a right it is a responsibility

because every word has consequence words

have the power to start and end wars it

has the power to marginalize or liberate

an entire group of people words have

more power than we could have possibly

imagined so when you speak just remember

that you possess the power to change the

world by changing your words thank you

very much

[Applause]