Ability to communicate through language - boon or bane?

[LegendChu]

We, the human race, have the unique ability to share our feelings through language. Nature has created us with the skill to employ speech for communication. This clearly separates us from all other species.

But is it always a good thing? Do we always make use of this ability, the right way?

Pika Pika :chu:

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

The ability of speech to communicate is only a bane if there are language barriers, so any misunderstanding based on a mistranslation could result to a conflict and eventually a war. Also, the part about our communication through speech that separates us from other species is false, because there have been studies about dolphins using different forms of speech to tell each other apart.

 

[Midnight shadow]

We, the human race, have the unique ability to share our feelings through language. Nature has created us with the skill to employ speech for communication. This clearly separates us from all other species.

But is it always a good thing? Do we always make use of this ability, the right way?

Pika Pika :chu:

I hate to burst your bubble there but humans are not the only animals to employ speech for communication. Pinkie-Dawn mentioned dolphins but really most animals use some form of speech to communicate. Ever heard of a mating call? Granted it's not nearly as advanced as ours but then again they don't need it. Instead most other animals use a combination of body movements and speech to communicate. Fun fact, there have been studies that show that Crows are able to describe a person to their friends. So if you were to attack a Crow, they would tell their friends about you.

Anyway, onto your question. I believe that any form of communication can be beneficial, the problem as Pinkie-Dawn said is miscommunication. Look in the news and nearly every piece regarding social media drama basically boils down to miscommunication. This isn't limited to a language barrier but more often than not from people speaking the same language.

 

[LegendChu]

I hate to burst your bubble there but humans are not the only animals to employ speech for communication. Pinkie-Dawn mentioned dolphins but really most animals use some form of speech to communicate. Ever heard of a mating call? Granted it's not nearly as advanced as ours but then again they don't need it. Instead most other animals use a combination of body movements and speech to communicate. Fun fact, there have been studies that show that Crows are able to describe a person to their friends. So if you were to attack a Crow, they would tell their friends about you.

Agreed many animals use different ways to communicate, but like you yourself mentioned, its not as advanced as us humans. Do they have a vast extended vocabulary like us, no they don't. So all those notions about animals using speech, although based on scientific theories, cannot be completely proven to be true. So the bubble's still intact :P.

Anyway, onto your question. I believe that any form of communication can be beneficial, the problem as Pinkie-Dawn said is miscommunication. Look in the news and nearly every piece regarding social media drama basically boils down to miscommunication. This isn't limited to a language barrier but more often than not from people speaking the same language.

Ya, exactly my point, but to add further, miscommunication can also be deliberate. A dishonest person, who knows how to play with words, will always have an advantage over someone who's honest, but doesn't exactly have the gift of the gab.

Pika Pika :chu:

 

[Midnight shadow]

Agreed many animals use different ways to communicate, but like you yourself mentioned, its not as advanced as us humans. Do they have a vast extended vocabulary like us, no they don't. So all those notions about animals using speech, although based on scientific theories, cannot be completely proven to be true. So the bubble's still intact :P.



Ya, exactly my point, but to add further, miscommunication can also be deliberate. A dishonest person, who knows how to play with words, will always have an advantage over someone who's honest, but doesn't exactly have the gift of the gab.

Pika Pika :chu:

Very few things in this world can be completely proven to be true, but that is a debate for another time. Animals may not have an extended vocabulary of speech but is that a bad thing? What they probably don't have is different dialects for different locations around the world. You could take a pair of animals of the same species from different places, put them together and they would be able to communicate just fine. In this their communication is more effective than humans.

The main problem with human speech is that it is so extended, we have too many ways of saying the same things that it confuses us, and that's where miscommunication occurs. You are right that miscommunication can be deliberate and there are people who specialize in twisting words and meaning to suit their needs. But I would guess that these cases are the minority and most of the time miscommunication is accidental.

 

[Crystal Berry]

Overall language is a pretty amazing thing we take for granted. If language didn't exist (or if I knew no languages fluently) I'd probably be miserable. I wouldn't say we always make use of language the right way. Verbal abuse exists, which can lead to psychological abuse. Even worse is how incredibly easy it is to offend people through language.

You can quite easy cause the average person to fume with rage by even saying one word or sentence that they don't like, and because of this I try to be really careful in social settings. One time I made a comment about a politician that a friend of mine liked (I didn't know that he liked him at the time) and he got pretty angry with me, so I added politics to my 'never talk about without caution' list. =/

 

[LegendChu]

Very few things in this world can be completely proven to be true, but that is a debate for another time. Animals may not have an extended vocabulary of speech but is that a bad thing? What they probably don't have is different dialects for different locations around the world. You could take a pair of animals of the same species from different places, put them together and they would be able to communicate just fine. In this their communication is more effective than humans.

Exactly, now you got the point & this is why I think that the ability of speech can sometimes be a bane. Of course animals having limited vocabulary isn't bad at all, its actually an advantage, if you look at it that way. We on the other hand have such an extended language base & even languages have their own dialects, which means we can say the same thing in hundreds (maybe thousands) of different ways.

The main problem with human speech is that it is so extended, we have too many ways of saying the same things that it confuses us, and that's where miscommunication occurs. You are right that miscommunication can be deliberate and there are people who specialize in twisting words and meaning to suit their needs. But I would guess that these cases are the minority and most of the time miscommunication is accidental.

Actually cases of "created" misunderstandings are much more than you think, trust me I'm talking from experience.

Pika Pika :chu: