The Impact of Language on Behavior and Culture - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1312 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/04/05 Category Psychology Essay Level High school Topics: Behavior Essay Did you like this example? Language is used to communicate, share and interact interpersonally. Due to the migration of people throughout the continents, different languages were created which in turn also created misunderstandings across civilizations. Theologically, there is a reason for the different languages that are found in each society. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Impact of Language on Behavior and Culture" essay for you Create order In most Judeo-Christian religious texts, is a universal story about the tower of Babel. In the Babylonian civilization, all the people of this society spoke one ubiquitous language, which allowed everyone to communicate without hesitation. The tower of Babel was an enormous monument built with the intent to reach to the heavens so that normal people could be like God and that they would not need Him. God did not like the pride and arrogance in the hearts of the people. Therefore, God made the people of Babylonia start speaking different languages so they could not communicate and work together to build the tower. This caused the people to scatter across the land, therefore creating civilizations with different languages, forever creating misunderstandings. Culture further amplifies the misunderstanding of language because of the ways that language impacts our consciousness and the way we understand certain words. Language can permanently alter someones mindset due to a persons personal interpretation of a word. Benjamin Whorf argues in The Relation of Habitual Thought and Behavior to Language, that language structures consciousness and in turn, develops complex and different meanings in vocabulary, therefore, creating different perceptions between people. In the work U.F.O in Kushiro by Haruki Murakami, a man named Komura finds a note written by his wife saying that she is leaving him. She claims that living with him is like living with a chunk of air and that he has nothing to give her and he has nothing inside. He then goes on a journey to deliver a box on behalf of his coworker to take his mind off the situation. During this journey and after having sex with a woman he met named Shimao, he begins to further analyze the meaning of his wifes letter and also analyze himself. The story, U.F.O in Kushiro leaves many questions about the meaning of Komuras wifes letter, but the statement chunk of air leads the readers and Komura to believe that Komura is empty. Both Whorfs and Murakamis works intersect because of the way both Whorf and Murakamis characters interpret words and the miscommunication and confusion that comes from language. In Whorfs work, he discusses the meaning of words and how certain words automatically implies safety when applied to other words. He uses words like -stone and empty to describe things that will not cause harm. But he argues that those same things that imply harmlessness can also mean danger. Whorf claims that when using gasoline drums, for example, people will be careful around the barrels knowing that gasoline is dangerous around a fire; however, when you add the wo rd empty to it, people around these barrels will automatically become careless about smoking or discarding cigarette stubs. He says the empty drums are perhaps the more dangerous, since they contain explosive vapor. Physically the situation is hazardous, but the linguistic analysis according to regular analogy must employ the word empty, which inevitably suggests a lack of hazard. This quote helps readers understand why humans become careless when the word empty is attached to things. The belief that there isnt anything visible in a container will make people also believe that nothing will be there to harm them if they decide to tamper with it anyway. When Komuras wife says that Komura is empty, she says that he has nothing to give her which allows readers to imply that she believes that she can easily remove him without serious consequences because he is safe and harmless. With that assumption, she completely erases the idea that Komura might react horribly to this note if she interpreted the word empty the same way as people who are careless with empty containers. Although the readers of Murakamis story will never know why Komuras wife left him nor will we know the meaning of the word empty in her mind, the readers could assume that his wife meant that Komura was an unsafe man which can be supported by the short conflict Komura had with Shimao where he almost became violent with her. This interpretation of the word empty is a major detail in U.F.O in Kushiro. After Komura tries to have sex with Shimao and is unable to get an erection, both characters try to decipher the note that Komuras wife wrote to him. Komura says That theres nothing inside me, I guess Im not sure, though. I may have nothing inside me, but what would something be?' This also goes back to Whorfs point of the empty gasoline barrel. Although Komura may be empty, carelessness could turn Komura into a dangerous person. When Shimao said that Komura will never be able to find out the contents of the box that he took to Hokkaido, his body reacts in a violent manner, he did not become violent but his thoughts almost pushed him to act violently. Murakami writes In the rooms silence, his heartbeat with a loud, dry sound. His bones cracked as he leaned forward. For a split second, Komura felt as if he were on the verge of committing an act of incredible violence. This feeling of violence could be related to the same potential danger of an empty gasoline barrel in the way that both contain highly destructive substances that are not visible to the eye. Shimao was unaware of this invisible anger when she first commented about how Komura will never know what was inside the box, but when she saw his facial expression, she immediately took back her statement. Both Komura and the empty gasoline barrel seem like they are unable to harm anything, however, when treated carelessly with a reactive substance near, they become dangerous. This may be why Komuras wife left him because she might have finally realized that his emptiness is not void of everything but his emptiness could become something harmful. Or she could have not seen his invisible dangerous behavior and only saw him as empty. Komura was able to take his emptiness in the form of aggression. Since Shimao was available at the time, he considered taking out his anger on her. Another resemblance of Komura and the empty barrel of petroleum is that they both need only one spark to explode. Komuras wife leaving him, or Shimaos joke about the unknown contents of the box could have been the spark that he needed to act in a dangerous, destructive manner. Language of any kind is the pinnacle of intelligence, however, the differences in vocabulary and their meanings can create miscommunications based on the assumptions we make which also stem from different definitions in vocabulary. Whorf claims that these differences in language can develop different cultures and behaviors in people. The way that Whorf and the characters in Murakamis book all interpret the word empty differently which further proves that languages differ depending on various factors. The evolution of the word empty changes drastically from start to finish as Komura begins to analyze the note his wife left him. Shimao saw emptiness in a way thats beneficial when she referenced how her mother wanted a salmon with only skin and no insides. Komuras wife only saw Komura as empty in a way where he could not give her anything. And after reading the thoughts that Komura has after Shimao made him angry, you can see that emptiness to Komura could mean violence. Whorfs theories about the way that language and vocabulary influence behavior are proved through Murakamis story. The definition of a word can be interpreted in various different ways depending on each individual person and their experiences.

The Discipline Of Accounting Finance Recent Events

Once again, I find myself in that slightly odd void, space after the end of exams but before the start of the next trimester. I sit here still afflicted with the shadow of guilt for not studying, but knowing full well I don’t really have to for a couple of weeks. So I guess it is time to reflect upon what I have learned. Firstly the module was very similar to the one before, so while I did learn new stuff, I will not bore you discussing different shades of grey I learned all about. â€Å"Does this add value to Society?† This isn’t a new question, but it was one that was asked repeatedly during my module. Many disciplines have attempted to answer this question with varying degrees of success. Within the discipline of Accounting Finance recent events both recent and not so recent make the question pressingly relevant. The financial scandals of the Mirror Group pensions, Enron, HBOS and the list goes on have forced the question onto accountants but it does seem to have forced much of an answer. The question isn’t new or difficult to understand. Anyone can look at a firm and talk about the good or bad it does, and in fact much of the current media narrative is doing just. We have the Wall Street protests and lambasting of Google tax arrangements. How does we translate this social drive for better firms into a language that can balance profit with people? And perhaps more importantly why aren’t we trying harder to do this? As a student and an accountant I am frustrated. You doShow MoreRelatedExplain How the Role of an Accountant Has Changed over Time. Essay1440 Words   |  6 PagesExplain how the role of an accountant has changed over time. Discuss the role of the accountant in modern business. I. Introduction. Thesis statement: Many changes have happened in Accounting in the last few years. 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My Life as a Misfit free essay sample

The world was here many a year before me, and it will be here many a year after Im gone. Ill give credit where credit is due. These words have guided my life for a long time. It is one of those life lessons that we all should learn, but for some reason, many do not. I want to tell you about myself, my life, my years growing up in small-town America, how it affected me, changed me, how my life up to this point has made me every bit of who I am, and why I would not change my past for anything in the world. From an early age, adults have commented on my maturity, both in attitude and in demeanor. This was the adult perspective, but to other children I was different, pure and simple. When youre different, when you stand out from everyone else, you are an easy target. We will write a custom essay sample on My Life as a Misfit or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I became the verbal and physical punching bag for a choice few. Whoever coined the phrase Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me knew nothing. Some of my worst memories are words that were said, not punches that were thrown my way. When I was nine or ten, most of the physical harassment stopped. The reason? I grew up literally. I was the tallest person in my class. Most would-be bullies would rather deal with a less intimidating target, so, for the most part, I was left alone. I was still branded a social outcast by my peers, though. Ill probably never know why, but being on the fringe of child-society allowed me a unique perspective. I could peer into situations that did not involve me, and study them. I became fascinated with the choices people made. This position also granted me the friends I have today; like me, they were also rejects. Some were too smart and some just perceived reality differently. There were only a few of us. We were not preps, we were not jocks; if you had to label us, we were a bunch of freaks and geeks. I only had a few friends, but they were worth their weight in gold. These were friends I could trust with my life. My junior year, and the summer following it, changed me. This year was the first in a long while that I found some semblance of acceptance with a majority of my peers. I can best analogize like this: we were all running a race, a race toward maturity. As with every race, some runners blaze forward while others fall behind. I do not want to sound narcissistic, but I was there waiting for everyone else to cross the finish line, and when they did, I could not resist the urge to ask What took you so long? I know this sounds like the beginning. Thats because it is. I am not here to explain how this tale will end, and that is where you come in. Through my trials I have become a better person; I have become strong-willed and not easily deterred by small misfortunes. Where I go to college will determine the rest of my life. I have decided that I want to pursue a career in psychology. I want to help others, especially those whose problems might stem from a troubled childhood. I want to help others discover the strength within, the way I was able to discover the strength that lies in me, the strength that will help me make my life and career a true success.

Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Research free essay sample

Their Eyess Were Watching God Essay, Research Paper Doug Wink P-7 2/22/97 THEIR Eyess WERE WATCHING GOD A caterpillar crawls along a desolate subdivision. His many extremities grip the grey bark as he undulates his organic structure along the way in the shadiness. Crawling steadily frontward he is looking for the proper topographic point suited plenty for him to alter his individuality. Upon happening a branchlet sprout where he can acquire bilateral support, he builds his cocoon. After his cocoon is finished the caterpillar crawls in for his metabolism. If one is to see a cocoon on a tree it does non resemble beauty, it is a flat piece of wound yarn like stuff with a hole in the top. When one sees a butterfly they may look twice or halt what they are making all together and trail it around following each of their sporadic motions as the hot Sun illuminates and tickers from above. We will write a custom essay sample on Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Identity has changed. What one time was a small ugly caterpillar that childs would travel around squelching and people would flick from trees when given the opportunity, went on to be an neglected poke secured to ramify. Cipher pays attending to the fact that beautiful butterflies are the consequences of these common eyesores. As the caterpillar grew older it matured and changed, from being stuck on land to airborne, from being ugly to beautiful, from being immature to old. All living things mature, all things change, wherever clip is a variable individualities are altering. Janie is no different from these things, she excessively has a altering individuality that can be traced throughout four chief parts in the book. Janie is a immature miss who at first docent even cognize her ain individuality. Bing rose by her Nanny in a house full of white people, you could see how this could hold been the start of an individuality crisis. Janie was ever treated like a white individual during her young person, the people Nanny worked for appareled Janie as if she was white, they sent Janie to school with the other white kids, and Janie? s friends were all white. Janie knew no better than to believe she was white. That was her individuality. One clip when a image was shown to her of her and all of her friends, Janie was losing and in her topographic point was a black miss in her frock. She had no thought she was different from the other kids. Black, black as dark and different from her friends, this was a alteration in Janies individuality. Janie now thought different of herself cognizing she was black. Her individuality had changed for the first clip. Janie was sent off to get married, Janie had envisionments of get marrieding for love and love affair she says to Nanny after get marrieding Logan? Ah wants things sweet wid mah matrimony # 8230 ; . ? . Janie had thought to her ego? Husbands and married womans ever loved each other, and that was what marria Ge meant. ? ( both exerts p.20-23 ) this is what Janie wanted, this is what Janie did non acquire. Janie had a bad matrimony with Logan because her individuality had changed. Janie went from being told what to make, to her ain adult female. Now Janie was ready for what she wanted, and now she knew who she is. Peoples position of Janie is a different sort of individuality, but is still portion of 1s individuality. Peoples saw Janie as Logans adult female now, adult male saw Janie as a good spectator, and Logan saw Janie as his object. While outside pumping H2O, Janie noticed a adult male walk by. That adult male noticed Janie excessively. Jody Starks was his name and he was going south to an all Negro town. Jody noticed Janie as a beautiful adult female who should be making nil but sitting on the porch in the shadiness. Jody offered to take Janie along with him to Eatonville to be his bride. Janie Accepts. Her individuality has changed once more, now she is Jodys adult female. Upon reaching to Eatonville, Jody becomes Mayor of the town, buys land, cleans up, builds a shop, and builds a station office. Now Janie is considered the Mayor? s married woman and Store keeper. Except by Pheoby her friend. Pheoby saw Janie as a model adult female beautiful in her ways, and cognition to endorse it up. Janie and Jody didn? t get along for long, shortly Jody was teasing her about the shop and how she should be working harder. Jody besides had a job with the manner other work forces were looking at Janie when she wasn? T looking. Jody made Janie wear her hair up in a hair shred which Janie did non desire to make, this takes off from Janies ain picks which makes her more Jodys Woman. Her Identity changes more to Jodys Woman. After Jody dies many suers try to court Janie into matrimony with them, but she does non wish to acquire married. Janie? s individuality has changed now, she is a individual adult female populating on her ain and making merely all right. Along comes Tea Cake to chat up with Janie and she flirts back. The whole town notices and thinks of Janie as a coquette messing with a no good adult male. Janie marries Tea Cake for love and they live a simple life on the Muck harvest home beans. Janies individuality has one time once more changed to Tea Cakes adult female. Janie and Tea Cake live a really happy life on the simple land. At one point Tea Cake beats Janie merely to demo everybody else who? s foreman. This reinforces Janies individuality as Tea Cakes adult female. After Tea Cakes decease Janie is one time once more a individual adult female, though she dearly girls Tea Cake. Janie returns to Eatonville and moves back into her old house. Janie lives a simple life from so on with a fixed individuality of her ain adult female. All things mature and all things change, individualities change so one can larn and turn old. As you can see Janie has endured her metabolism and turned out as a mature person. 33f