Learning Languages Ruined My Life

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  • čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
  • Here's the video where I speak 10 languages: • Chinese polyglot speak...
    You can find me speak Chinese: • An Interview in 3 Lang...
    Spanish🇪🇸: • Chino Hablando Español
    Korean 🇰🇷: • How I learned Korean |...
    Cantonese: • 东北人讲广东话
    And more to come!!!
    This video is mainly on why I study foreign languages and why I think it is important to learn languages.
    If you also like languages, cultures, and histories, please subscribe to my channel and join my journey of intellectual pursuits!
    --------------------------
    My Facebook page: / phoenixhouxq
    ig@phoenix_hou_
    微博:侯雪千Phoenix
    哔哩哔哩:侯雪千Phoenix

Komentáře • 20K

  • @fatnuts43
    @fatnuts43 Před 3 lety +9280

    Foreign language teacher: why didn’t you do your homework?
    Me:

  • @e.kupfer8631
    @e.kupfer8631 Před 3 lety +4817

    "Another language, another soul".

    • @sundial655
      @sundial655 Před 3 lety +7

      Yes, Carthaginian would like to persuade you to speak Phoenicians . So they can justify prolicide.

    • @completebilingual
      @completebilingual Před 3 lety +41

      I always call it having another personality and not a soul.

    • @e.kupfer8631
      @e.kupfer8631 Před 3 lety

      @@sundial655 Huh?

    • @patsig7632
      @patsig7632 Před 3 lety +26

      Another way of seeing the world.

    • @marinablackview6470
      @marinablackview6470 Před 3 lety +2

      Quot linguas calles, tot homines vales?

  • @boiledelephant
    @boiledelephant Před 6 měsíci +439

    "The pursuit of knowledge is almost by definition a sort of masochism."
    That's pretty spot on.

    • @randominternetuser2599
      @randominternetuser2599 Před 4 měsíci +11

      *"I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing at the wind. For in much wisdom, is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.*

    • @boiledelephant
      @boiledelephant Před 4 měsíci

      @randominternetuser2599 Qoheleth! What are you doing here ol' buddy

    • @WillCutting-ms2wy
      @WillCutting-ms2wy Před měsícem

      Uh, no

  • @LOL-cringe
    @LOL-cringe Před 8 měsíci +1462

    The more you learn, the more you realise how many things you don't know.

    • @a7mdftw
      @a7mdftw Před 7 měsíci +12

      The more i see the more I realize how much remains hidden

    • @irein4118
      @irein4118 Před 7 měsíci +85

      congrats you copied the top comment

    • @austinennis6833
      @austinennis6833 Před 6 měsíci +2

      The more you learn, the more you realise how many things you don't know.

    • @TheMilhouseExperience
      @TheMilhouseExperience Před 6 měsíci +5

      You also learn how stupid other people are. Regardless of what 1 thing they know that you don’t. It’s always best to just surround yourself with good people you can stand to have a form of conversation with.

    • @perspectiveandthinking
      @perspectiveandthinking Před 6 měsíci

      Wtf poor human being, copied the top comment. 😂😂😂 for what? Very very poor soul.

  • @ir3561
    @ir3561 Před 3 lety +10624

    He said “ruined his life” because it destroyed his past identify. It destroyed “his life”. What he thought was his life.

    • @dickyahmad9281
      @dickyahmad9281 Před 3 lety +244

      Good thing. Cause identity just for society not knowledge

    • @guilhermetonon7267
      @guilhermetonon7267 Před 3 lety +81

      Nah, pretty sure hes dead

    • @Frankmaui67
      @Frankmaui67 Před 3 lety +413

      That's a stupid way to put it
      he should say it expanded his horizons or changed his attitude and outlook on life in a better way

    • @smproperty184
      @smproperty184 Před 3 lety +231

      @@Frankmaui67 that's not very eye-catching

    • @romaissach497
      @romaissach497 Před 3 lety +198

      @@Frankmaui67 on the opposite, it's smart.
      this kind of words are used andwidely known.. but his title made me watch the video (and I didn't regret it)

  • @professional.commentator
    @professional.commentator Před 6 měsíci +1163

    I'm only fluent in two languages. But I feel like the more languages you know, the more you realize how cynical this world is and that people are generally the same everywhere.

    • @Disappointed739
      @Disappointed739 Před 6 měsíci +150

      That realization, my friend, is mostly because you are growing older. Trust me, the legitimacy for cynicism gets a lot worse as you grow older. And a bit of advice flows from that. It is mentally much healthier to focus on something else that brings you joy and happiness, because the world will not become any nicer because you object to it being cruel or unfair. While your objection to the Universe's inherent cruelty is fair and commendible, your observation is nothing new or unique, so you might as well expend your energy somewhere else. Trust me, you will be a lot happier if you chose such a path.

    • @professional.commentator
      @professional.commentator Před 6 měsíci +12

      @@Disappointed739 Thank you for your words of wisdom. And I know what you mean about life's cruelty. I learned that lesson as a teenager.

    • @abody499
      @abody499 Před 6 měsíci +11

      yes indeed. i have been trying to get this across to anyone who might listen. while it seems like the whole world wants to emphasise difference, learning languages and meeting people from other walks of life just solidifies my sense of us all being generally the same.

    • @tirraa
      @tirraa Před 6 měsíci +14

      I thought that I was the only one who think that way. Not like I'm the only one, but it's good to see people thinking like I use to think about. I'm currently fluent in two languages and afterwards I see the same. People are pretty the same, everywhere.

    • @7261m
      @7261m Před 6 měsíci +2

      Maybe I’m too optimistic but to me that’s ok

  • @proTruth-wf1mw
    @proTruth-wf1mw Před 4 měsíci +266

    When you read about other cultures through your language, it's like hearing a rumor about them. But when you speak their language, it's like becoming part of their royal court, thinking and feeling just like them.

    • @leishen105
      @leishen105 Před 2 měsíci +1

      exactly THRU

    • @carmenwomack
      @carmenwomack Před měsícem

      Are you basically implying that individuals who are neurotypical need to completely learn a foreign language in order to experience empathy for the people that language belongs to??

    • @jacka602
      @jacka602 Před měsícem +2

      @@carmenwomack it doesn't say its a prerequisite for empathy, but that it enhances it

  • @mayavichy4987
    @mayavichy4987 Před 3 lety +24638

    “After learning a language, a part of you becomes a member of the tribe to which the language belongs to”
    Identify with this on so many levels

    • @yuliazni4006
      @yuliazni4006 Před 3 lety +100

      So wisdom phase

    • @Zeewman
      @Zeewman Před 3 lety +292

      I somehow learnt a language I'm writing in right now and I don't think it's necessarilly true.

    • @deutschelehrer69
      @deutschelehrer69 Před 3 lety +9

      @@yuliazni4006 LoL

    • @stribakkiri
      @stribakkiri Před 3 lety +240

      He also said, in that same sentence, "if you care enough",...which to Theodorius Ghandeli, is a very important part.

    • @stribakkiri
      @stribakkiri Před 3 lety +12

      @@Zeewman about, a part of oneself becoming a member of that tribe, the language belongs to?

  • @orestes67
    @orestes67 Před 3 lety +5834

    Sounds like his life isn’t ruined at all

    • @onetwo6595
      @onetwo6595 Před 3 lety +12

      @Alejandro Rauber me too

    • @bw4348
      @bw4348 Před 3 lety +86

      No. His life is over. You guys just aren't smart enough to understand what he's saying. Maybe when you speak 9 languages you'll get there but you'll probably be dead by then too.

    • @bw4348
      @bw4348 Před 3 lety +10

      No. His life is over. You guys just aren't smart enough to understand what he's saying. Maybe when you speak 9 languages you'll get there but you'll probably be dead by then too.

    • @greenfairy549
      @greenfairy549 Před 3 lety +27

      @@bw4348 so is better not to learn anymore languages then?🥺

    • @bw4348
      @bw4348 Před 3 lety +6

      @@greenfairy549 Yes pretty lady. You can stop now that you're able to talk to me.

  • @shahabdeiri7629
    @shahabdeiri7629 Před 7 měsíci +544

    As Iranian (Persian) I’m so honored that my language Farsi is known for poetry, and I am grateful for your nice presentation 👌🏻
    Edit: I’m really thankful for your likes ❤️

    • @BibuTorii
      @BibuTorii Před 7 měsíci +10

      Bro it has the best rhymes fr

    • @andreascarl9636
      @andreascarl9636 Před 7 měsíci +11

      Would love to learn Farsi! I find it fascinating that it is part of the Indo-European language family, like a distant cousins of French, English or German.

    • @edenhazard2751
      @edenhazard2751 Před 7 měsíci +23

      Dont forget your culture dude. Persia has one of most beautiful cultures in the world. Dont let it disappear what has happened before Islamization of the Persian soil.

    • @anshusingh3137
      @anshusingh3137 Před 6 měsíci

      persians were different .. not the converted ones like u

    • @BeyondBetelgeuse
      @BeyondBetelgeuse Před 6 měsíci +14

      @@edenhazard2751 I would guess that you never say the similar thing to a French or an Englishman. You never said to them, "Don't forget your culture dude. Don't let it disappear because of the Liberalization."

  • @yue7507
    @yue7507 Před 2 měsíci +22

    One of the most beautiful and profound videos i've had the privilege of watching. Watching this again after I watched it for the first time years back, as I'm on the journey of relearning my native tongue.

  • @astutisinha9090
    @astutisinha9090 Před 3 lety +3892

    “History written by whom, and for whom”
    Damn, that is powerful.

    • @mazadancoseben4818
      @mazadancoseben4818 Před 3 lety +15

      Struck my heart

    • @stribakkiri
      @stribakkiri Před 3 lety +33

      Which is quite logical, when one questions certain things which are structured in society and are based on something that happened quite some time ago. Or certain things which are just simply based on stories, historical texts and such.
      Often wondered and pondered about by Theodorius Ghandeli.
      Have you never had that thought about something you read, anywhere?

    • @KScavs
      @KScavs Před 3 lety +3

      Agreed!

    • @ayshaanzala591
      @ayshaanzala591 Před 3 lety +2

      The best part

    • @anonymousboy8873
      @anonymousboy8873 Před 3 lety +6

      History is written by Us and for Us

  • @enzodapan5016
    @enzodapan5016 Před 3 lety +9268

    This video was like
    *"I've won, at what cost..."*

    • @2Kaleb
      @2Kaleb Před 3 lety +184

      What did it cost you?
      Everything

    • @PolarBear-rc4ks
      @PolarBear-rc4ks Před 3 lety +74

      I've won, but at what cost- I think that's the proper version

    • @TheOfficialChannelOfChannels
      @TheOfficialChannelOfChannels Před 3 lety +48

      So Basically - It's nice To Know when People are Talking Sh!T in Differnt Languages about You, but Then itll Also Lower your Self Esteem Knowing people all over the World Truly Hate You cause you heard it come out of there own mouths

    • @IDreamElectricSheep
      @IDreamElectricSheep Před 3 lety +29

      You've missed the point by miiiiles

    • @mhamadhamed4941
      @mhamadhamed4941 Před 3 lety +8

      Captain !
      Help wanda in west view

  • @roxanemae196
    @roxanemae196 Před 9 měsíci +55

    "If you care enough, part of you becomes part of the tribe whose language you learned belongs to. And that cultural multitude of personalities can be excruciating."
    Powerful quote.

  • @wigglytwizzler6929
    @wigglytwizzler6929 Před 6 měsíci +5

    This is the motivation I needed to study my target language today. It's been hard these past few weeks with school, but I feel so much better after focusing on my language goals. The hardest part is starting.

  • @bo214
    @bo214 Před 3 lety +29142

    "The bigger the circle of the known, the larger the contact with the unknown". Thank you.

    • @danban8155
      @danban8155 Před 3 lety +167

      Great video, but after hearing this, I just had to to subscribe

    • @crystalstar927
      @crystalstar927 Před 3 lety +22

      That's awesome

    • @nobbynoris
      @nobbynoris Před 3 lety +8

      Xackly.

    • @majutsushisliceoflife
      @majutsushisliceoflife Před 3 lety +104

      Especially when it comes to the metaphysical. I'm not going to lie, I'm learning Japanese mainly for pop culture, anime, manga video games,etc.On the other hand, I've also been reading up on magic, so if I get skilled enough, I might want to look into some of the mystic traditions within Shintoism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

    • @raulsuhett
      @raulsuhett Před 3 lety +5

      This was so beautiful!

  • @user-ot4rc9jh8e
    @user-ot4rc9jh8e Před 3 lety +3852

    "Yes to advance your career in a globalized world"
    Me learning Japanese so I dont need subs.

    • @arigatameiwaku
      @arigatameiwaku Před 3 lety +202

      I am learning japanese just to listen some hentai dlsite asmr works :) I NEED TO KNOW THE PLOT IN THOSE NTR WORKS

    • @haise1356
      @haise1356 Před 3 lety +164

      @@arigatameiwaku I see you are a man of culture

    • @JaMorantBiggerArm
      @JaMorantBiggerArm Před 3 lety +46

      @@arigatameiwaku bruhhh

    • @arigatameiwaku
      @arigatameiwaku Před 3 lety +24

      @@haise1356 they even have PDFs inside with script so its easier to learn new words :D

    • @marquitoboss
      @marquitoboss Před 3 lety +33

      I'm learning japonese to understand vtuber

  • @m3tamonk3y4
    @m3tamonk3y4 Před 6 měsíci +106

    Its not learning other languages that hurts us, its the general broadening of our knowledge. Languages was just the vehicle you used. I found the same studying history, international relations, philosophy - its a humbing experience that isolates you from friends and family.
    Apparently a conscious effort to be 'in the world', and not 'of the world', combined with a habit of practicing gratitude helps to counter the burden of knowledge.

    • @TheAncientColossus
      @TheAncientColossus Před 3 měsíci

      Do I stop?

    • @m3tamonk3y4
      @m3tamonk3y4 Před 3 měsíci +4

      @TheAncientColossus No, just find a balance that suits you. I've had to learn to take time each week to do things I enjoy that are not related to the heavy topics. Also, good sleep and exercise make a massive difference to improve mental health if you are determined to keep studying your areas of focus.

    • @WorkyWorky-vz7bq
      @WorkyWorky-vz7bq Před 2 měsíci +2

      @@m3tamonk3y4 wow I had the same with physics, psychology

    • @IvanGavr
      @IvanGavr Před měsícem

      It's a pity it is true. But we can say so about any intellectual activity which requires to be alone many time.

    • @carmenwomack
      @carmenwomack Před měsícem

      It broadens our knowledge in the sense of actively feeling emotional empathy vs cognitive empathy. I guess for some people who are more neurotypical it takes learning a language or immersing themselves in a different culture to feel empathy for others.

  • @uvsv728
    @uvsv728 Před 7 měsíci +6

    I got a duolingo ad directly after this

  • @ZeoWorks
    @ZeoWorks Před 2 lety +2169

    Morale of the story, your country is not the center of the universe.

    • @dm8057bk
      @dm8057bk Před 2 lety +160

      No - but it *is* the center of YOUR universe. And, contrary to what some may think, that's not always a bad thing.

    • @ZeoWorks
      @ZeoWorks Před 2 lety +30

      @@dm8057bk Absolutely. :)

    • @C_R_O_M________
      @C_R_O_M________ Před 2 lety +5

      The vid is about languages and there’s a definite hierarchy in the usefulness, practicality, adaptability of languages. Not all languages are equal in describing reality (in essence digitizing an analogue reality to something communicable) and not all languages were designed to accommodate change in them. Only Greek has done that. I speak Greek, English and used to speak French and some Italian. The Greek language is richer and more adaptive, bar none.

    • @C_R_O_M________
      @C_R_O_M________ Před 2 lety +11

      @@anthonylopez5 The US was and IS a big deal. Lately there’s a political trend that produces comments such as yours which are greatly uninformed and unappreciative of the importance of the US culture for all humanity. Pity!

    • @sbl.productca2834
      @sbl.productca2834 Před 2 lety

      Who said Miles Morales?

  • @loganhenry0
    @loganhenry0 Před 3 lety +2037

    Speaking different languages may make you smarter, but...
    “The ability to speak does not make you intelligent.”

    • @brotatoofdestiny9932
      @brotatoofdestiny9932 Před 3 lety +79

      Knowing more ways about how people speak, lets you see more ways of speaking about the same thing.
      Knowing that there is more than one way to speak about things, means you will never put your faith into only one thing.
      When you can speak in more than one way, you will rarely speak meaninglessly, or make sense in only one way.

    • @exorg1163
      @exorg1163 Před 3 lety +34

      Qui-Gon Jinn was truly the wisest jedi.

    • @Yatukih_001
      @Yatukih_001 Před 3 lety +9

      I want to create a hybrid between Japanese and Icelandic. Because I love drawing Japanese women and so on, the idea is to create a whole new language which can make it vastly harder for all but a few to interpret content in Japanese intelligence reports. I do not know if this language hybrid will ever become a reality, but if it does, it would be called Japicelandic.

    • @gaiusjuliuscaesar9296
      @gaiusjuliuscaesar9296 Před 3 lety +33

      @@Yatukih_001 "I love drawing Japanese women" hmmmmmm

    • @robeastv
      @robeastv Před 3 lety +7

      @@Yatukih_001 I'm gonna check back here in a year to start learning Japicelandic...

  • @Sayo0201
    @Sayo0201 Před 9 měsíci +28

    2:23 "After learning a language, a part of you becomes a member of the tribe to which the language belongs."
    It makes sense to me, and and I do feel the pain because of this...

    • @ABittyBee
      @ABittyBee Před 2 měsíci +1

      But that's ok if you already got the tribal blood in you, like if you are Russian learning Russian, for example, or in my case, part Russian learning Russian. Why would it not be? Who begs to differ?

  • @jackkai6213
    @jackkai6213 Před 6 měsíci +109

    I think people who think languages are just communication tools really undermine their true effects on society. It affects the culture, the mindset, the traditions, relationships between people. You kind of feel that when you learn and get good in a language, you start feeling the connection to this language and all what it represents. My French teacher used to say, "learning and utilizing another language is like living more than once"

    • @beegbeeg9871
      @beegbeeg9871 Před 6 měsíci +6

      I'll come out and say that I'm one of those people, I'll try to change that mindset.

    • @yawomarioanoumah28
      @yawomarioanoumah28 Před měsícem

      For me learning a foreign language Is an indescribably important considering the effects on my life. It helps me to give a sense to my solitude 🤍🤌🏽 I like languages like I like literature and the world around us❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍🩷🩵🩶

    • @Electropath
      @Electropath Před měsícem

      Big respect to you for saying they publicly. Hope you've noticed some change in the past few months ​@@beegbeeg9871

    • @carmenwomack
      @carmenwomack Před měsícem

      It's called emotional empathy, the "feeling" that you're experiencing from having to have learned said language is emotional empathy. Not to be confused with cognitive empathy which is just knowing how they feel and not feeling how they feel.

  • @Lina-qn9xt
    @Lina-qn9xt Před 2 lety +7025

    People here saying that a lot of polyglots claim to be fluent while they still learning new vocab everyday and let me tell you that you are completely wrong .. even in my native language I still learn new things everyday! I don't know about you guys but as an Arabic speaker I actually have a LOT of words that I don't understand, like who's able to memorize more than 12 million word?
    Being fluent is the ability to think with that language and to have conversations with native speakers, that's all we need as a language learners. It's the ability to write a comment that you can understand even if there's some mistakes.

    • @Marmar0404
      @Marmar0404 Před 2 lety +276

      YES!!! Thank you so much for writing this! Everyone should read this comment because there are way too many people who claim that one is fluent only when they speak a language on a very advanced level or that it’s necessary to have a C1 or C2 diploma to be fluent. I was one of those people, but man was I wrong. This also makes me think that fluency is something subjective. Like, if I feel like I’m fluent in a language then that means that I can communicate without problems, and if that isn’t quite accurate yet, I feel like I still need more practice and that’s okay!
      I mean, no one really cares if you make a lot of mistakes as long as you make yourself understandable!

    • @xXJ4FARGAMERXx
      @xXJ4FARGAMERXx Před 2 lety +126

      @@Marmar0404 also, I can't talk at a C2 level in a rocket science class (in any of my languages), does that mean I'm not fluent? No! Because you're not "fluent" or "beginner", it's a spectrum! You can be more or less fluent, and that can change day to day, subject to subject, and even depending on whom you're talking to!

    • @MS-qe6ip
      @MS-qe6ip Před 2 lety +18

      Couldn’t agree more.

    • @hunjuli5245
      @hunjuli5245 Před 2 lety +55

      I've been thinking of this before. There's not an actual way to know every single word in a language. Even natives speakers don't know everything about their languages, because languages can change and have various words depending on the region that you're living. I am a native Portuguese speaker and in my country (and the country that colonized my country) there are words that I can't simply understand or just don't get it. "Gajo", "Guria" a lot of words can change depending on the region that you're living. I don't think that the languages that I know (Portuguese, English) that I am studying (Gaelic, Russian) and that I can understand (italian) are different from mine.

    • @johnnoon9999
      @johnnoon9999 Před 2 lety +26

      Youre right. One, languages are not composed of "words," they are composed of words, expressions or idioms that express something. In one country, "asparagus" might be made of a three "word" combination and be super uncommon because nobody in the country or regions ever eat asparagus. In another country it may be a two letter word and be said everyday cause they eat it in every meal.
      And two, as a native English speaker I literally have to ask people what they mean to say at least a few times a day, and that's not counting the times I just get distracted, don't hear them clearly, they aren't speaking in an easily understandable way. Those few times a day are when I literally don't know the word or expression. There are new slangs people not in high school don't know, and there are words I have heard my whole life from time to time but it isn't used much by my family and friends so I never really got the meaning.
      When I once went though a time hanging out with Irishmen visiting my city on vacation, we literally had to ask for clarification for half of what the other person said. Ironically there were also a couple grammatical phrases I use in my variety of southernese (southern US speak) that they used too, but that people from the north look at me crazy when I say (I be workin' alot, I'm fixin to get goin', etc.)
      I have the same experience with languages I know fluently. I tend to be around people from and immersed in the variety of one region or country, and so you put me with a person from elsewhere, I may speak Chinese like a native from Beijing, but not like a Taiwanese. I may speak Spanish like a Spanyard but not like... any other country. The funny thing is that Chinese will love you if you are a total noob and have a thick american accent. Spanish speakers outside Spain will only give you an ounce of respect and talk to you in Spanish if you speak their specific variety so well they think you are a native and you don't tell them you aren't.
      All in all theres zero point to care what people think. If some American says "well I only speak English but I watched a kung fu hong kong movie once and your chinese is bad imo" well okay, think what you want, I'll consider the source. If someone from El Paso says "well my parents are from Mexico and I'm also a fluent speaker and you talk funnny" well okay, I don't learn the language to talk to people who have inferiority complexes and no manners anyway, so bye. When a real native critiques you, it is usually an actual correction or whatnot. Even other Americans sometimes say something like "its barely, not verily" or "it's spelled 'there' not 'they're' " to other Americans. This is normal and helpful. And if you don't care about talking all proper and crap, then just be like "oh okay, gotcha, 'preciate it bro," and keep saying it how you do.

  • @veronniep
    @veronniep Před rokem +20412

    "Cultural schizophrenia" is such a good way of describing something that I've never had a word for before. I speak three languages and am in the process of learning a fourth. The more languages I learn, the more I want to learn, and I just don't have the time to immerse myself in them all to the level I want to. I also spent my early 20s traveling/living in various countries and immersing myself in their language and culture. The first time I moved to a foreign country, everyone warned me about culture shock. Nobody warned me that I would also feel it when moving back to my home country. And now, I find myself feeling homesick no matter where I am. My friends are all over the world. My favorite restaurant is across the globe. Sometimes I am just sitting in my home and I suddenly find myself strongly wishing to be back in a different country. I want so many different chapters of my life all at once.

    • @ted.angell7609
      @ted.angell7609 Před rokem +731

      I lived overseas for five years and it took me about that long to finally feel at home again in the U.S.

    • @MayleenVictor
      @MayleenVictor Před rokem +435

      Completely relate. I have never lived out of the country but I have moved around my whole life all over the US. And sometimes I will miss going to that restaurant every Friday. Or miss hanging with this person all the time. Or being able to walk across the street to the beach to get away. I wish I could merge different chapters of my life all the time, so glad you out it into words.

    • @danielaceri3142
      @danielaceri3142 Před rokem +29

      You described it so well!

    • @lourdesojeda9660
      @lourdesojeda9660 Před rokem +34

      Jesus Christ this comment defines me so well!

    • @tychokort
      @tychokort Před rokem +15

      That's a really good explanation

  • @KuroSteve1
    @KuroSteve1 Před 6 měsíci +1

    Wow, I didn‘t expect that! Thank you very much for your enlightening and encouraging words!

  • @sarcasmo57
    @sarcasmo57 Před 7 měsíci +6

    Thanks Phoenix, it was very thought provoking.

  • @itsmejt9283
    @itsmejt9283 Před 3 lety +4031

    The one of the worst things about learning languages is the ‘transition’ or when you stuck in a limbo when you understand both but can’t speak or process it when necessary.

    • @Yatukih_001
      @Yatukih_001 Před 3 lety +62

      I experienced this on the Satanic International website. So what I did was, I tried to behave like an idiot there so they would suspend the account and it worked.

    • @deveshyadav6283
      @deveshyadav6283 Před 3 lety +33

      Same happens to me between hindi and english.

    • @andrescarmona5593
      @andrescarmona5593 Před 3 lety +8

      You are right, its sad 😒

    • @MrJosephAnthonySilva
      @MrJosephAnthonySilva Před 3 lety +54

      Code switching. What a lot of people fail to realize is this happens with math types as well, as Algebra/Calculus. It gets better with practicing code switching, but I still get those moments where I feel like a fuse has shorted out lol

    • @dodoriadendeson3323
      @dodoriadendeson3323 Před 3 lety +98

      This is a very natural stage of learning a new language. It will, eventually, melt away. One very interesting aspect though, is to read the same book in its original vs translation in different languages. This will really show you how this world works, and it won't stop shocking you every single time 🤯🤯🤯

  • @henrydawson584
    @henrydawson584 Před 3 lety +12564

    No one gonna talk about this guy going to the bookstore at 3 am

    • @idraote
      @idraote Před 3 lety +538

      Nothing beats browsing books in the peace and quiet 😂

    • @upsidedownChad
      @upsidedownChad Před 3 lety +34

      bruh

    • @Simon-io6xr
      @Simon-io6xr Před 3 lety +20

      😆😆😆

    • @starrbitz1229
      @starrbitz1229 Před 3 lety +200

      i would like too, if i had the courage😂 nothing can be better than seeking a quiet place, reading books, having a cup of coffee, while it's raining outside

    • @msjulicious
      @msjulicious Před 2 lety +153

      i wish the bookstore near me was open that late

  • @maninthemirror6446
    @maninthemirror6446 Před 9 měsíci +3

    this has been sitting in my list for i don't know how long. but just on a random night it popped on my page and this time i was lucky to watch it. all the long lost passion of mine -which has deeply hurt me with its absence- has now been recalled by this speech. and it was a speech to my soul: i knew the words even before they came out of your mouth. so thank you my friend, hope we can break-down and build-up what needs to be. with love and love only...

  • @tonydare7614
    @tonydare7614 Před 7 měsíci +87

    The pain you feel has nothing to do with languages. I speak 4 and have lived and work in several countries, which is relatively few compared with many. Knowledge and wisdom are different. Yes, you won't gain inner peace by increasing and identifying with knowledge but by understanding why these emotions arise and not trying to cover them with more facts. We are all deeply interrelated and that is beautiful.

    • @shroomer3867
      @shroomer3867 Před 4 měsíci

      Damn 4 is a lot! I'm at 3, the first was from parents and the two others I learned were at primary school due to moving, so now it's much harder to learn another language for me, but I think I'll learn French next when I'm done with stuff like post-secondary education and driving license since they are currently on my priority.

    • @e.5693
      @e.5693 Před 4 měsíci

      ​@@shroomer3867which languages do you know?

    • @shroomer3867
      @shroomer3867 Před 4 měsíci

      @@e.5693 Russian, Spanish and English

    • @e.5693
      @e.5693 Před 4 měsíci

      @@shroomer3867 i guess you are russian, once i tried to learn spanish but didnt continue :( i love spanish

  • @panthersprung5161
    @panthersprung5161 Před 3 lety +2455

    if you think learning vocabulary is painful, maybe you haven't stepped on enough legos yet

    • @phoenixhou4486
      @phoenixhou4486  Před 3 lety +409

      Haha one day I’ll have a kid and proudly claim to have done so!

    • @mllesamedi84
      @mllesamedi84 Před 3 lety +4

      Was für ein schöner Profilname!
      Ich lerne keine Vokabeln - mich schmerzt mein Unwissen...

    • @panthersprung5161
      @panthersprung5161 Před 3 lety +5

      @@mllesamedi84 Danke, wie nett! Der "Panthersprung nach Agadir" ist eine Bezeichnung für eine politische Krise zwischen Frankreich und Deutschland im Jahr 1911.

    • @mllesamedi84
      @mllesamedi84 Před 3 lety +2

      @@panthersprung5161 Davon hab ich noch nie gehört! Diese Bildungslücke werde ich baldestmöglich schließen. Danke für die Aufklärung 🙂

    • @norbertgroll1361
      @norbertgroll1361 Před 3 lety +13

      I used to step on legos now i stumble over the logos

  • @annastayziaa
    @annastayziaa Před rokem +5672

    “After learning a language, if you care enough, part of you becomes a member of the tribe to which the language belongs.”

    • @bocawilliams9200
      @bocawilliams9200 Před rokem +55

      I'd rather spend my time getting chicks! The language of love is the ONLY other language I need.

    • @TheIrishEgyptian
      @TheIrishEgyptian Před rokem

      @@bocawilliams9200 definitely a virgin

    • @Di_yay
      @Di_yay Před rokem +389

      @@bocawilliams9200 love? That’s not love. That’s just horniness.

    • @sakurablossom5897
      @sakurablossom5897 Před rokem +4

      this is very true, and was well expressed

    • @bocawilliams9200
      @bocawilliams9200 Před rokem +24

      @@TheIrishEgyptian PLZZZZZ I get more a$$ than a toilet seat!

  • @Abhi-gj1hn
    @Abhi-gj1hn Před 6 měsíci

    "The true pain is the confusion" . This is what I have been facing wrt travelling and living in different countries and understanding different cultures for a long time. I couldn't really understand or articulate it till I came across this video . Its so profound .Thank you !!

  • @Lanthir2
    @Lanthir2 Před 7 měsíci +3

    The exact same thing could be said about music, at least that's what I learned from it. I got to know people from all kinds of different cultures and felt an instant connection without even really knowing them in many cases. Feeling this connection to people that might live thousands of miles away normally but on the other hand feeling foreign to people living next door and seeing how peacefully the world could be also caused this pain inside me.

  • @theDoctorwitTardis
    @theDoctorwitTardis Před 3 lety +12762

    Multiple language mastery can create a linguistic schyzopherenia - most elaborate point made in this video. Just like you talk differently with your grandparents, at work and on a night out with your friends, so too does your way of expression change in different languages. Some are quiet, some are loud, some are pointient some are more expressive. Holding several linguistic networks and backgrounds in your head can make you feel like you are switiching between different people based on the language you are currently using.

    • @du9267
      @du9267 Před 3 lety +351

      And i thought that was normal :v

    • @heroeus8173
      @heroeus8173 Před 3 lety +208

      Yeah i know that feeling
      I'm polyglot since my teenagers
      But i experience it since my childhood because i'm natively tri-lingual

    • @jacqueslee2592
      @jacqueslee2592 Před 3 lety +456

      This is true. I became more isolated knowing several languages as my accent started to change when I was young. Parents used to get pissed that I would use vocabulary that is not part of their dialect. At school, the American teachers and Americans used to think I was making fun of them as I started to sound a bit British or German in accent. Others used to think that I was making fun of people as I became more receptive of different accents, phonemes from different languages or I was just pretentious or a foreigner. It is painful indeed. In the US, this will be more the case as Americans have this toxicity culture of "English only" or American sounding English only.

    • @rehakmate
      @rehakmate Před 3 lety +23

      Yeah this is true, i'm bilingual (hungarian and english)

    • @yashny
      @yashny Před 3 lety +55

      Being multilingual, I can relate to this. I thought this was normal!

  • @ryansu5821
    @ryansu5821 Před rokem +2251

    “As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.”
    ― Albert Einstein

    • @DespaceMan
      @DespaceMan Před rokem +78

      *The more you know, the more you realize you don't know*
      --- Aristotle

    • @greenshinigami5566
      @greenshinigami5566 Před rokem +47

      "I know one thing:that i know nothing"
      -your boy Socrates

    • @car9167
      @car9167 Před rokem +4

      Know everything about nothing (getting specialized into a field,etc) or knowing nothing about everything

    • @anandjj5077
      @anandjj5077 Před rokem +13

      "1 kidney 1 iPhone, 2 kidney 3 iPhone. Bumper offer"
      - Michael Jackson

    • @hassan_codes
      @hassan_codes Před rokem

      @@anandjj5077 🤣🤣🤣

  • @MsCeci2007
    @MsCeci2007 Před 5 měsíci +1

    Thank you for sharing this. You managed to summarize in a few minutes my own struggles after having lived in 3 different countries and learned 4 foreign languages. My curiosity has led to the very confusion and pain you described. It’s refreshing to feel understood.

  • @keizan5132
    @keizan5132 Před 6 měsíci

    This video kept popping on my recommended and only now I decided to watch it. Really needed it, thank you.

  • @pucktheblackswordsman999
    @pucktheblackswordsman999 Před 3 lety +791

    "It is no nation we inhabit, but a language. Make no mistake; our native tongue is our true fatherland." - Emil Cioran

    • @HitTheHype
      @HitTheHype Před 3 lety +4

      My mannnnn , thats exactly the same thought I was thinking when seeing this video.

    • @HitTheHype
      @HitTheHype Před 3 lety +7

      En español : “No es una nación la que habitamos, sino un lenguaje.” - Emil Cioran

    • @HitTheHype
      @HitTheHype Před 3 lety +7

      “No se habita un país, se habita una lengua.Una patria es eso y nada más.”

    • @MissMoontree
      @MissMoontree Před 3 lety +5

      But what about Belgium?

    • @henriqueoliveira3877
      @henriqueoliveira3877 Před 3 lety +3

      If I'm not mistaken that line of thought was first said by a portuguese poet called Fernando Pessoa: "My homeland is the portuguese language". In "The book of disquiet". Originally "O livro do desassossego"

  • @helenamcginty4920
    @helenamcginty4920 Před 3 lety +3375

    I found years ago that reading novels and stories written by authors of other nationalities, even in translation opens your eyes not only to different ways of living but to different ways of story telling.

    • @littlefishbigmountain
      @littlefishbigmountain Před 3 lety +53

      @@brendaaniwe1212
      Maybe? Doesn’t it depend on a lot of things? Why should there be a simple “answer” assigned to it to decide the judgement of its value?

    • @SuperMan-yw8gm
      @SuperMan-yw8gm Před 3 lety +16

      @@brendaaniwe1212 how would it not be good?

    • @phatlewt2932
      @phatlewt2932 Před 3 lety +40

      I'm not interested in reading but for most of my life I've been exposed to english movies, cartoons and video games, basically just american and british entertainments. This has took a big toll on me, most of the times even my internal monologue is in English, meaning i talk to myself in English which is strange considering that I rarely get to verbally interact with other people in this language. I'm assuming it's not unusual

    • @cry9438
      @cry9438 Před 3 lety +1

      @@phatlewt2932 let me guess, Filipino?

    • @phatlewt2932
      @phatlewt2932 Před 3 lety +2

      @@cry9438 no

  • @giovanniubillamorgado181
    @giovanniubillamorgado181 Před 5 měsíci +4

    Te agradezco mucho por este video. Esa forma de ver el aprendizaje de idiomas es algo fascinante y algo muy profundo de cierta forma. Uno de los videos más interesantes que he visto en mi vida probablemente, gracias.

  • @ItsMikeLearns
    @ItsMikeLearns Před 6 měsíci +1

    I like to come back to this video and re watch it from time to time

  • @itsxerci
    @itsxerci Před 11 měsíci +2965

    “The bigger the circle of the known, the greater the contact with the unknown”
    That hit home hard

    • @younglussbeats1317
      @younglussbeats1317 Před 10 měsíci +9

      Bars🔥

    • @chammy2812
      @chammy2812 Před 7 měsíci +25

      As someone working on their PhD who constantly feels unknowledgeable on the things I've spent years learning, this line has stuck with me. I come and rewatch this video just to hear it again.

    • @Frank_Castle_1
      @Frank_Castle_1 Před 7 měsíci +1

      @@chammy2812 can you please explain this sentence to me in simple words?

    • @chammy2812
      @chammy2812 Před 7 měsíci +21

      @@Frank_Castle_1 sometimes I feel stupid because I don’t know how to do something. But the only reason I feel this way is because I have studied enough to get to this question. Someone that hasn’t put the same effort in to understanding the topic never faces this question.

    • @Frank_Castle_1
      @Frank_Castle_1 Před 7 měsíci +11

      @@chammy2812 ok understandable have a nice day.

  • @johannessommer7723
    @johannessommer7723 Před rokem +695

    the more you learn, you realise you dont have enough time on this earth
    this kills me the most

    • @SpringNotes
      @SpringNotes Před rokem +33

      That's true in one aspect. But, realizing one's finite time alive is what makes life so precious;
      and perhaps, might lead to using the time that we have left - more wisely.

    • @k.sallar5218
      @k.sallar5218 Před rokem +3

      Weltschmerz

    • @haroldnecmann7040
      @haroldnecmann7040 Před rokem +6

      Still have time to comment on youtube

    • @maltborg
      @maltborg Před rokem +3

      Yet you are here clicking on click baity videos and listening to a beta

    • @yasharkurdi
      @yasharkurdi Před rokem +6

      finally i find sameone mention feeling like me
      i'm 22 and i'm general medicine student
      i can understand and speak in 5 languages but 2 of them not like native
      i'm so remorseful because in the past i had more time and possibility to learn more

  • @tobelieve627
    @tobelieve627 Před 9 měsíci +6

    Language is a powerful tool, for the individual to seek information that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to, it makes you wiser. Plus, talking to people are always fun.

  • @kikujirofromkyoto
    @kikujirofromkyoto Před 4 měsíci

    I watched this again after a long hiatus and it hits home as much as it did the first time. After learning 6 languages more or less fluently and a couple more at basic level because of my travelling~working lifestyle, I can definitely say I can relate 😢.

  • @AmazingRebel23
    @AmazingRebel23 Před 3 lety +2437

    Let’s be honest, we all knew the title was completely misleading.

    • @aaliyah410
      @aaliyah410 Před 3 lety +224

      The video provided great insight, but I do think the title went a bit overboard. It feels quite exaggerated.

    • @TenaciousTentacruel
      @TenaciousTentacruel Před 3 lety +24

      If a trail twists and turns on the way towards the destination, is that path misleading?

    • @magicalcapi9148
      @magicalcapi9148 Před 3 lety +13

      Is it though?

    • @sheepketchup9059
      @sheepketchup9059 Před 3 lety +33

      @@TenaciousTentacruel if a sign says that the path that it sits upon said to brings you to a place but ends up at another, wouldn't that be misleading?

    • @sheepketchup9059
      @sheepketchup9059 Před 3 lety +29

      @@magicalcapi9148 his life is not ruined by learning languages, therefore, he is a liar.

  • @TheFirstGroover
    @TheFirstGroover Před 3 lety +1034

    This is a huge philosophical topic: why struggle so much just to discover that at the end of the day, we're at the same time, so similar and so unique? That's the beautiful pain of our world.

    • @amjan
      @amjan Před 3 lety +3

      The word "just" is stupid in your statement.

    • @Graeberwave
      @Graeberwave Před 3 lety +1

      It’s called anthropology

    • @cypher_2259
      @cypher_2259 Před 3 lety +3

      @@amjan why

    • @tracyhouser4100
      @tracyhouser4100 Před 3 lety +8

      @Noob master I think Amjan's point was a point i very much agree with. Think about the word "just". Its exclusive. It reduces to a singular. It throws away every conceivable thing minus what follows it. It simply isn't the case. You don't learn a language "just" to see that we're all the same. There must be much more. I mean, did we not watch the same video?

    • @alexh6767
      @alexh6767 Před 3 lety

      Im doing a Language Studies degree and in my modules we discuss culture a lot. There is a lot of differences than meets the eye

  • @sterlist
    @sterlist Před 7 měsíci +5

    It is not regularly that I watch something which resonates with me to such a great extent. This was moving, and probably life-changing for someone whose whole aim in life has been the pursuit of knowledge. The urge of reading Tolstoy's ramblings about history in russian, of reading the Gita in sanskrit, reading Caesar's memoirs about his conquests in the original Latin. There is something truly special about it all. The east asian languages are too complex, but people probably say the same stuff about my language (hindi), I can give it a try, it has to be worthwhile. There is so much to do but this life feels too short, I have already wasted two decades on this planet and I'm only now learning to learn. Thank you for this video, I'll save it and watch it again after a while. All these hours wasted on this website become worthwhile when something like this shows up out of the blue :')

  • @hungry3166
    @hungry3166 Před 4 měsíci +9

    I love how you still read the comments of this video. Even if there are some rude ones. You don't deserve them :) ♡

  • @askywithanalibi4948
    @askywithanalibi4948 Před 3 lety +3164

    The most profound language I have ever spoken is silence.

    • @therose1277
      @therose1277 Před 3 lety +146

      "It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." - Mark Twain

    • @askywithanalibi4948
      @askywithanalibi4948 Před 3 lety +24

      @@therose1277 I’ve never heard that particular quote, I love it. Thank you.

    • @rachelsmith3230
      @rachelsmith3230 Před 3 lety +4

      Is this your thought/quote, or is it borrowed? Either way, thank you for sharing it. It’s lovely.

    • @askywithanalibi4948
      @askywithanalibi4948 Před 3 lety +22

      @@rachelsmith3230 It was just a thought as I was listening. It occurred to me how powerful silence can be. I know silence has hurt me more than the harshest of words. It says more than any painful words.
      On the other side, when you remain silent , allowing yourself to truly listen,without planning in your head what you are going to say next while someone is still speaking to you, the silent engagement of communication becomes an authentic understanding.

    • @askywithanalibi4948
      @askywithanalibi4948 Před 3 lety +2

      @@rachelsmith3230 Thank you for your kind words.

  • @mila9162
    @mila9162 Před 2 lety +3771

    The most painful part of language learning is feeling like you have become a part of a culture that you know you will never truly belong to.

    • @margui6224
      @margui6224 Před 2 lety +137

      Yes. That’s the hardest part to assimilate into other country’s culture.

    • @quartzy_jane2153
      @quartzy_jane2153 Před 2 lety +239

      Interesting. I've never felt this. The only time I have a sense of not belonging somewhere is when I don't know the language or words to communicate, because the silence between you and other people is isolating. Before I learned other languages (German and Russian), the UK was the only place that felt like home to me. Now it's as if home is whenever I can speak with people and be understood, and so far I've been very lucky, everyone has welcomed me with open arms ❤

    • @Hello-fd7tt
      @Hello-fd7tt Před 2 lety +32

      This this this this this. It feels lonely.

    • @Girtharmstrong69
      @Girtharmstrong69 Před 2 lety +83

      Unless you're talking about a europ3an language, anyone can become European apparently and if anyone says no then they are racist meanwhile every other culture is allowed to protect itself to the pointnof actual violence and systemic discrimination

    • @stuka80
      @stuka80 Před 2 lety +55

      I speak 3 languages, and broadly understand a 4th, I feel no pain or frustration because im not trying to belong to another culture. i'm too proud of being who i am and belonging to my own group.

  • @RashmikaLikesBooks
    @RashmikaLikesBooks Před 7 měsíci +3

    I really appreciate this video. Many of us in the comments are united by a love of languages, and it is wonderful to see.

  • @zhaojian
    @zhaojian Před 8 měsíci +1

    我一年前看您这个视频的时候,很感动,因为讲出了我无法表达出来的东西。今天一早我又看了一遍,依然很感动,我感觉你的这些话成了我坚持学习语言的一部分动力,谢谢你。

  • @1c2h3e4u5n6g
    @1c2h3e4u5n6g Před rokem +4992

    Knowing 4 languages has made my life so much more interesting. Being able to laugh at comedy from 4 cultures just makes life that much richer, and let's me know we all have more in common than we are different.

    • @RyanAmero
      @RyanAmero Před rokem +24

      Just curious did you learn any of said languages as an adult or did you learn all them in childhood?

    • @1c2h3e4u5n6g
      @1c2h3e4u5n6g Před rokem +75

      @@RyanAmero 1 mother tongue, 2 between the age of 10 to 16, 1 in my early 20s.

    • @1c2h3e4u5n6g
      @1c2h3e4u5n6g Před rokem +65

      @Mark Mowadeeb Knowledge doesn’t make one’s life better or worse, personal choices do.

    • @pavilionhp2896
      @pavilionhp2896 Před rokem +6

      bro can learning language helps in creating more wealth if applied in tourism and other sectors?

    • @Shilpa.Slava_Ukraini
      @Shilpa.Slava_Ukraini Před rokem +32

      Me too ….I enjoy Netflix….I’m fluent in English, Hindi , Telugu …I can speak & understand Tamil cannot write it… I can understand some Korean words ….I’m trying to learn French & Ukranian (for my Babushka,my dad is Ukranian ,my mom is Indian ,both met & married in Kyiv after becoming doctors.I used to speak Russian & Ukranian as a child but not anymore !

  • @AngelOne11
    @AngelOne11 Před 3 lety +964

    "History is written by whom and for whom" is the key here. If you watch the news from the other side you realize that you never had the full picture until that time.

    • @meow5670
      @meow5670 Před 3 lety +55

      Though honestly they don't either. There is no evil side. Both sides assume they have moral authority. Both have assumptions and distort facts to make themselves look good. Part of the problem seems to be assuming one side is completely right. They are both usually a little wrong.

    • @giovanauzumakixd
      @giovanauzumakixd Před 3 lety +1

      So true...

    • @ProtoIndoEuropean88
      @ProtoIndoEuropean88 Před 3 lety +5

      @@meow5670
      I feel an attack on titan reference

    • @aayansh3919
      @aayansh3919 Před 3 lety

      What does 'History written by whom, for whom' interpret to? I don't quite get it.

    • @Lobito-qz9pz
      @Lobito-qz9pz Před 3 lety +2

      He’s making reference to a very imbecile quote that seems to resonate more and more nowadays: “History is written by the winners” despite the fact that I hold a great deal of respect for Mr. Winston Churchill and his influence during WW2, i doubt it would have ended optimistically if not for him; but in this quote I staunchly disagree and it seems like the guy in the vid was furthering it’s due discourse, as in bringing its idea into question

  • @werkore1295
    @werkore1295 Před 7 měsíci +2

    I watched this video during quarantine and have always wanted to be where he was in life; smart yet not arrogant. Now I’m in Seattle, I’ve visited magus books. Now I get that he was in me from the beginning, I didn’t have to go where he was and be where he was. His wisdom is within us wherever we are

  • @BenCappsCello
    @BenCappsCello Před 6 měsíci

    This is an amazing vid! Thank you!

  • @ChineseCookingDemystified
    @ChineseCookingDemystified Před 3 lety +3760

    2:25 Excellent point, beautifully articulated.

  • @afmuddin94
    @afmuddin94 Před rokem +4042

    "The pursuit of knowledge is almost, by definition, a sort of masochism." Damn, that hits hard.

    • @SlowMonoxide
      @SlowMonoxide Před rokem +12

      Came here for this comment, thanks. Yeah, that one caught me

    • @mysmirandam.6618
      @mysmirandam.6618 Před rokem +1

      Just @ me

    • @peppertree8244
      @peppertree8244 Před rokem +19

      Along with becoming aware of all the things we don't really want to see, may it help us really appreciate everything good that we do have in our own lives. From people we like to flush toilets! Serious!

    • @RameoMTL
      @RameoMTL Před rokem +17

      There's no learning/growing without some sort of suffering or obstacle to overcome

    • @zgiuzuufzhfdf6996
      @zgiuzuufzhfdf6996 Před rokem +6

      youre not a thinker

  • @RunningtoCatchMyBreath
    @RunningtoCatchMyBreath Před 9 měsíci +4

    I love you, and needed to hear this, at this exact moment

  • @tredfxman
    @tredfxman Před 6 měsíci +1

    Good Talk! You know theres this quote: "No pain, no gain..." Also id like to quote Terry Pratchett: "Wisdom my lad, is never cheap..." 👍

  • @macrop8
    @macrop8 Před 3 lety +1536

    I actually perceived this so called pain as relief when I finally started to see how similar everyone is

    • @noora_a_saetre
      @noora_a_saetre Před 3 lety +76

      I agree. Also view it just as awe and just get inspired to keep digging into the constant growing circle of unknown.

    • @nataliebutler
      @nataliebutler Před 3 lety +64

      Yeah, I find it uplifting. It's strange to me he see this as painful.

    • @noora_a_saetre
      @noora_a_saetre Před 3 lety +56

      It can be very overwhelming, to a perfectionist they want to keep learning so they can conquer the knowledge only to be met with more and more unknown. Then you forget how much you have learnt and it’s enough, and you can keep going at your own pace. Pretty pessimistic view haha but it’s how I feel now when I’m finishing up my undergrad.

    • @annasofhiafejmailcomdoroni4725
      @annasofhiafejmailcomdoroni4725 Před 3 lety +22

      I can relate bruh like i dont feel pain at all. Its satisfying tbh

    • @anxiousseal556
      @anxiousseal556 Před 3 lety +25

      Same and combined it with my interest in history and anthropology just make me go like "Hey what even the point of discrimination? We're basically the same thing with different box" it makes me appreciate how similar we are in this world. It's truly fascinating, if only we could stick together imagine the world if it's like that

  • @leonalumbad7656
    @leonalumbad7656 Před 3 lety +2135

    I'm from the Philippines and I've been studying Japanese for so many years. I feel like I'm more updated with Japanese news than that of my own country. The more languages you learn, the more you break the wall you're born in.
    Edit: I'm still updated with our local news. It's just that I'm more focused on anything that can improve my Japanese skills. Also, I'm not a weeb because I'm not obsessed with anime culture. It's their language that I'm enamored of.

    • @yunglorde8691
      @yunglorde8691 Před 3 lety +107

      It kinda sounds like you’re not interested with your local news in the first place.

    • @cutiegurl1739
      @cutiegurl1739 Před 3 lety +40

      yunglorde i agree with that. It doesn’t sound cool at all. I guess her culture always have this thing called crab mentality. It is always better to be aware of things within your proximity. It makes you knowledgeable in general aspect.

    • @minachae3514
      @minachae3514 Před 3 lety +33

      oohhh i am filipino and have been learning the language as well. i hope youll stay updated though in spite of the kapalmuks/corrupt politicians and the fanaticism with most of the filipinos god du30. only with awareness and education can we seek accountability from these buwaya politicians. hehe anyway, i hope you are doing well with your language learning!

    • @minachae3514
      @minachae3514 Před 3 lety +18

      @@yunglorde8691 everything's a mess apparently. most reeks of privilige, others are just blind. with poor education system, anyone with their meaningless and illogical words can make a person blind from reality. i hope we get to care and be kind more with others, at least understand and be more aware of the suffering of those who are greatly affected (anti terror bill, jeepney drivers asking for alms, killings and planting of drugs, attack in both academic and press freedom, poor decision making, the list goes on)

    • @GretaC
      @GretaC Před 3 lety +65

      I'm Italian and I have the same problem with English. I consume every media I can in English, including the news. I like politics and stuff so I stay up to date on world news, but I certainly know more about American politics than Italian politics.

  • @user-xq3wm9de5v
    @user-xq3wm9de5v Před 4 měsíci +1

    i believe this is one of the best videos i’ve watched on youtube. While i’ve been casually learning german, i’ve realized how many things in the world were not only changed, but inspired by. Thank you :D

  • @skeei-l
    @skeei-l Před 7 měsíci +5

    (What i'm going to write down is my own experience.. and -to be honest- i'm trying my language too)
    I am learning 3 foreign languages, one of them is english of course, and for me it's like having a new strong weapon, it helps me opening my eyes on an new unknown world, more than that loving my history, culture and relegion!
    For someone doesn't know her culture like she should do, it's refreshing after a long time of chasing other cultures and history to comeback and re-read my own culture and history, just to discover that there is nothing more precious than that!

  • @trash_whisperer
    @trash_whisperer Před 3 lety +2178

    This resonated so much with me, in my studies of foreign languages. When you study a language, you aren't just acquiring a tool for communicating with other people living in a different region of the world - you are acquiring a new way of seeing the world, of confronting biases, of building mutual understanding. Appreciating the uniqueness of each language and culture - equally - contributes to a more balanced world view that we all need in this age of polarization.

    • @tcbarrett3rd
      @tcbarrett3rd Před 3 lety +5

      Yes! Exactly!

    • @NopphadolUdomluck
      @NopphadolUdomluck Před 3 lety +2

      Wow nice

    • @user-of2gd7nv5s
      @user-of2gd7nv5s Před 3 lety +9

      It doesn't matter. All will perish in the face of the Monolith and will speak one language

    • @jonathandewberry289
      @jonathandewberry289 Před 3 lety +2

      So you're more woke and a gooder person than those who haven't. Got it.

    • @trash_whisperer
      @trash_whisperer Před 3 lety +4

      @Charming Billy U jelly? Lol I wasn’t speaking about myself but about polyglots in general. I never claimed to have achieved any of those things, only that foreign language study facilitates their achievement. I personally still have biases that I’m conscious of, but being conscious of them reminds me to not pass judgment on something that I don’t completely understand.

  • @asmranonymousgaming901
    @asmranonymousgaming901 Před 3 lety +581

    His pronunciation is spot on. His respect for other languages and the cultures behind them is admirable

    • @nowvoyagerNE
      @nowvoyagerNE Před 3 lety +4

      aaaa...no...no it's not.

    • @urcurlydawg932
      @urcurlydawg932 Před 3 lety +11

      @@nowvoyagerNE yes.... yes it is

    • @mts2639
      @mts2639 Před 3 lety +2

      Well, he pronounced "masochist" and "masochism" wrong.

    • @maxgeorgalbers547
      @maxgeorgalbers547 Před 3 lety

      Ahh, ja, ja, es ist gut.

    • @tonypat8889
      @tonypat8889 Před 3 lety

      His pronunciation...... is it a sarcasm or compliment. Asian shouldn't pronounce like that?

  • @kaitlyn__L
    @kaitlyn__L Před 7 měsíci

    I love this. The whole time I kept saying “but that’s what’s so great about it!” and then felt called-out when you said “crazy masochist” lmao.
    Like I agree with the value at the end as stated in the conclusion, but I also find that whole process of realising I knew nothing before to be exhilarating rather than painful! Carving deep into my soul that the more I learn the more I’ll realise is still unknown, is not existentially terrifying to me but instead a rush from gaining even a little extra insight into the nature of the entangled and interwoven universe. To accept that history, people, and possibility is so much bigger than I can ever contain is liberating - once you give yourself up to it!

  • @manbeast_cs
    @manbeast_cs Před 4 měsíci

    god damn dude, this hits hard. Thank you for saying this, I think of it often.

  • @cristianestrada708
    @cristianestrada708 Před 3 lety +575

    He forgot to say “sorry for my english” at the end.

  • @MerlinTheCommenter
    @MerlinTheCommenter Před 3 lety +6712

    I speak 6 different languages, all from varying cultures and let me tell you, this one hit home for me. It's like someone made a video about my existential crisis as a man trying to come to grips with my identity. The more you learn, the more ephemeral your old identity becomes. Now I dream in different languages and when I wake up, I cannot describe them quite right in English anymore. To be honest, I'm afraid I will eventually lose my ability to really speak articulately in English. But that is a fear I will face head on as I add more languages under my belt.

    • @holistic_memory404
      @holistic_memory404 Před 3 lety +266

      Coming in terms with your identity.....Learn and learn so you can become free of any identity but just inclusiveness

    • @shameivan474
      @shameivan474 Před 2 lety +23

      That's awesome

    • @missqueen20_
      @missqueen20_ Před 2 lety +76

      I know four languages, but the one I've got a higher level is in English. Once I dreamed in English and I woke up so happy that even now I can remember almost everything that happened in that dream. It just has happened to me once, and I'm expecting it occurs again but with the other languages when I'm better at them 😊

    • @Sam-th1uk
      @Sam-th1uk Před 2 lety +69

      True. I am having the same issue. Sometimes I mix thoughts in different languages, or speak in a random language when I get emotional. Even emotions are conflicted with each other based on which language I am using. It is a bless but the price is quite heavy, I wish I didn't know any of them.

    • @congdungnguyen7354
      @congdungnguyen7354 Před 2 lety +1

      Oh, my days. Same.

  • @VelhaGuardaTricolor
    @VelhaGuardaTricolor Před 6 měsíci +91

    I speak 4,5 languages, have lived in 4 countries and there are only positives in learning other cultures. It is like adding extra eyes around your head. The world gets far less complicated.

    • @BS-vx8dg
      @BS-vx8dg Před 6 měsíci +7

      Gee, you mean knowing those other languages isn't the "most painful" thing you've done? /s I admire you for expanding your horizons; it sounds like you're not a pretentious arse like the guy in the video.

    • @asr59
      @asr59 Před 6 měsíci

      Hmm I disagree, personally after being in the UK for 10 years I feel I'm not as fluent in speaking my mother tongue (Spanish), I've lost vocabulary and sometimes I say things grammatically incorrect. Not to speak about when to use accents and so. Also I can speak English ofc, but I won't ever speak it as well as a native does.

    • @atanvardo5730
      @atanvardo5730 Před 6 měsíci +6

      @@asr59 But speaking a language fluently doesn't mean speaking it without committing mistakes. Most native speakers of a given language commit several mistakes, by the force of habit. Usually, these mistakes are different from those committed by non-native speakers or by people in the process of learning that language.

    • @dEFT07Itd
      @dEFT07Itd Před 6 měsíci

      That is your adaption phase, I had it as well. No worries, you have not forgotten it!
      @@asr59

    • @souza1841
      @souza1841 Před 6 měsíci +1

      Eae tricolor

  • @LoveYouEnglishLessons
    @LoveYouEnglishLessons Před 7 měsíci

    Keep on learning and growing.

  • @carlyfb
    @carlyfb Před 3 lety +1997

    And then there's me who just studies a bunch of languages cause craving vocabulary and grammar makes me happy oop

    • @fazyt86
      @fazyt86 Před 3 lety +9

      Samesies.

    • @Liqoh
      @Liqoh Před 3 lety +3

      same

    • @gwusan
      @gwusan Před 3 lety +34

      And then there's me who has nothing better to do

    • @the_clarinetster6568
      @the_clarinetster6568 Před 3 lety +30

      I always get this like short phase every few years where I just want to learn languages and then next second I hate it

    • @shivam3017
      @shivam3017 Před 3 lety +15

      Oh, found someone who feels the same. But, only ever learn 1 language at a time. Otherwise your mind will become a zoo with no cages.
      I made that mistake in the beginning, started loosing the I already had while trying to learn 2 others at a time.

  • @maskedmarvyl4774
    @maskedmarvyl4774 Před rokem +8329

    Spoiler: Learning languages did not ruin his life. He spends the entire video talking about the awesome benefits of learning language and the unbearable pain and burden of knowledge, in the most unctuous way possible. .

    • @FalonElise
      @FalonElise Před rokem +328

      Nailed it. The most apt comment on this thread.

    • @istiqamahkonsisten
      @istiqamahkonsisten Před rokem +100

      Thanks masked rider

    • @fahadmubeen6272
      @fahadmubeen6272 Před rokem +226

      Thanks for saving our time.

    • @maskedmarvyl4774
      @maskedmarvyl4774 Před rokem +477

      @@fahadmubeen6272 , That's what I'm here for; wasting my time watching meaningless videos so I can save others from the same fate.

    • @MrPragmatism
      @MrPragmatism Před rokem +59

      @@maskedmarvyl4774 may god bless your soul

  • @lucasvasconcelos5705
    @lucasvasconcelos5705 Před 9 měsíci +12

    In a way I feel more connected to different cultures and religions just by learning english. It's kind weird that I can't imagine my life anymore without english. I honestly just use portuguese to communicate with my family and friends but on the internet, it's always english.
    And that's curious. To know a culture, to be part of a culture I wasn't born with, just because I learned a language.
    It opens so many barriers, debunks the obstacles and leads to a new awesome world, like reading fantasy books: a world to explore.

  • @JakeJacob99
    @JakeJacob99 Před 4 měsíci

    Words of wisdom. Really been interested of French and Italian for awhile, with only knowing English and Spanish I did want to merge into those language more and you just gave me the motivation. Thank you, Gracias, Grazie, Merci.

  • @seanfang9395
    @seanfang9395 Před 2 lety +4110

    Learning a language is one thing, living in one is another. The problem is not the language itself. It’s the sense of “homelessness “ . You don’t belong to here or there. You are an outsider no matter where you are and how perfectly you speak that language. There are always some parts of you can never fit in. And yet you can’t go back where you came from either because you are no longer who you used to be.

    • @JohnWalterGates
      @JohnWalterGates Před 2 lety +146

      I don't feel this loneliness. I am certain of which is my tribe, and speaking foreign languages doesn't separate me from my motherland, au contraire

    • @izzyliberti
      @izzyliberti Před 2 lety +55

      I definitely feel this kind of insecurity that you're describing! Already felt it with two languages growing up, adding a third one to my life definitely didn't help.

    • @coldblackice
      @coldblackice Před 2 lety +63

      @@JohnWalterGates Just had to flex that French, didn't you

    • @sunderark
      @sunderark Před 2 lety +24

      @@coldblackice I've never heard a french person say au contraire.

    • @gozinta82
      @gozinta82 Před 2 lety +20

      @@JohnWalterGates I think you missed what Sean was getting at. Even with knowing one language, one can feel this.

  • @sillymesilly
    @sillymesilly Před 3 lety +2661

    Don’t try be intelligent and just enjoy learning languages.

  • @mor2149
    @mor2149 Před 3 měsíci

    A lot of wisdom right there,can’t be more agree!
    Thank for sharing.
    💐👏🏼

  • @douglasdavis5133
    @douglasdavis5133 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Deep and Sincere. a very thoughtful video

  • @lalina1304
    @lalina1304 Před 3 lety +253

    Yeah, I also found I couldn't learn a language without getting fully absorbed into the culture. I learn their mannerisms, insecurities, joys, history and misunderstandings. It's like this whole other world comes into light. It's incredible.

  • @ManturoQ
    @ManturoQ Před 3 lety +2099

    All growth is painful. Solomon wrote: "Whoever increases knowledge increases pain." Ecclesiastes 1:18.

    • @adrvapor9433
      @adrvapor9433 Před 3 lety +24

      I remembered the same verse while watching this video!

    • @auntjemima2335
      @auntjemima2335 Před 3 lety +46

      Yep! Same here.. here’s the verse:
      Ecclesiastes 1:16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
      Ecclesiastes 1:17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
      Ecclesiastes 1:18 *For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.*

    • @buntice
      @buntice Před 3 lety +9

      Damn, so that's where the Assassin's Creed 1 quote by "Al Mualim" comes from. Mind blown!

    • @pika7623
      @pika7623 Před 3 lety +35

      @@buntice Ecclesiastes 1:9 “there’s nothing new under the sun”

    • @JoeyGirardin
      @JoeyGirardin Před 3 lety +3

      Such is the burden of Responsibility

  • @mateusbernstein9002
    @mateusbernstein9002 Před 8 měsíci +1

    Whenever this video pops up on my CZcams feed, I watch it.
    I have no words to describe how much I love it. ❤

  • @1funnycats
    @1funnycats Před 4 měsíci +2

    I give a standing ovation! best talk I've heard about languages and cultures!

  • @kookiesfriend
    @kookiesfriend Před 2 lety +1878

    This hit hard as a multi-lingual person. Learning languages comes with learning culture and immersion into a new perspective. They go hand in hand and it really does mess with you. You can feel like you're floating in between all these communities, but not really having a place to call your home.

    • @Danuxsy
      @Danuxsy Před 2 lety +45

      You can do that even if you only know one language, ideologies and religion has far greater impact in reality.

    • @bqmfilms7395
      @bqmfilms7395 Před 2 lety +32

      This is rly spot on, it feels satisfying to see this comment cause I always tought I was weird for thinking that way.

    • @0wninguplz
      @0wninguplz Před 2 lety +6

      I feel you but this eases when you know the truth, by that I mean the objective truth then taking sides is easier. Better yet the truth will put you in the rightful community or rightful side. Very few understand this matter. The stage of floating "in between" is the stage before the stage I am talking about.

    • @vamlov8235
      @vamlov8235 Před 2 lety

      @@0wninguplz many ways to call it, only one way to peace

    • @matchesburn
      @matchesburn Před 2 lety +10

      "Learning languages comes with learning culture and immersion into a new perspective."
      Ehh... Kinda a vastly overstated generalization. I'll showcase why: When you learn French as someone that's French Canadian - how well do you understand French culture just by virtue of knowing the language? I'd argue not that well. I'll showcase this even further: If you learn English - which culture are you learning about? Australian culture? American culture? Both have their own unique dialects and slang that neither really interact with. I took multiple years of Spanish in middle school and high school. I learned absolutely nothing about the culture of Spain. We never talked about Spain, we never conversed with anyone from Spain. Did I somehow absorb by some linguistic osmosis some cultural insight on Spain because I studied their language? ...No. Could I perhaps converse in simple short sentences with them? Yeah, sure. That doesn't mean I understand them or their culture or have greater knowledge of it just because we both know the same words.
      The reason why bilingual people or polyglots tend to know about the culture of the place where the language they are learning is from is because they are also interested in their culture. I could sit down and academically memorize through mindnumbing rote the Japanese language to the point where it would mentally break me (hell, Japanese almost did and attempting to learn it was so mentally scarring that I have now just given up learning other languages because life is too short to be that frustrated at something for that long). This wouldn't make me know more about Japanese culture. Ironically, I learned more about Japanese culture by reading English-translated Japanese works than I ever did attempting to just learn the language. Again: because I was interested in the culture and people. The learning of the language itself did nothing to broaden my understanding.

  • @OddZodd
    @OddZodd Před 3 lety +493

    Finally. A mini-documentary translating the thoughts I have had flying and smashing against the inside of my skull for years, played out in a simple four minute video. Nearly brought a tear to my eye

    • @phoenixhou4486
      @phoenixhou4486  Před 3 lety +57

      Thank you! I’m glad to find people with similar experiences and feelings on this platform. Means a lot to me.

    • @OddZodd
      @OddZodd Před 3 lety +12

      @@phoenixhou4486 Yea, what really resonated with me was when you brough up poetry from different civilizations through time, and how their messages can trancend just one...

    • @xImBeaST12321x
      @xImBeaST12321x Před 3 lety +6

      When the algorithm READS MY BRAIN lmao

    • @wolfgangk2824
      @wolfgangk2824 Před 3 lety +10

      That is why ignorance is a bliss. Knowledge brings pain and responibility. And stupidity is ruling the world. Sad to say, but true.

    • @haleyschricker2124
      @haleyschricker2124 Před 3 lety

      Same

  • @sergiocontreras4k
    @sergiocontreras4k Před 9 měsíci +2

    Wow, your thinking of the different culture and form see or Understand is very cool :).

  • @ximenaraffo5429
    @ximenaraffo5429 Před 3 lety +700

    I speak 3 languages fluently and there's nothing like the feeling that You can comunicate with people and understand different cultures, there's absolutely no pain in that!

    • @Catitalaratoncita
      @Catitalaratoncita Před 3 lety +20

      Me too! I’m learning a 4th language because of school now though.

    • @fairfeatherfiend
      @fairfeatherfiend Před 3 lety +78

      Now when people curse at you in 4 languages, you understand them. That's a pain.

    • @ma8ico
      @ma8ico Před 3 lety +17

      @@fairfeatherfiend just learn a fifth one hahaha

    • @minhao2571
      @minhao2571 Před 3 lety +35

      I dont even speak "fluently" my own language so I just become more chaotic as time goes by after learning other languages. Which is, kinda fun.

    • @prudentiusinvader6652
      @prudentiusinvader6652 Před 3 lety +10

      @@minhao2571 dude that's how I feel, maybe my brain is getting overloaded with words lol

  • @oisinmaccumhaill7037
    @oisinmaccumhaill7037 Před rokem +2213

    There just isn’t enough time in my life to learn everything that I want to. It’s heartbreaking.

    • @user-gv5hm8po6b
      @user-gv5hm8po6b Před rokem +82

      bruh you have all your life in front of you and you already say you don't have enough time lmfao

    • @drankurbaruah
      @drankurbaruah Před rokem +199

      Depends.
      I'm a doctor, HAM radio operator, biker, paragliding pilot, amateur lead guitarist and national level competitive rifle shooter. I also write poetry.
      At the moment, I'm learning boxing from an online course very patiently and diligently.
      Next?
      I'll learn cooking and camping.
      Edit: I'm 40 years old.
      And I forgot to add I know Morse Code (8-10 words per minute) and I'm learning electronics, soldering stuff and blowing things up. I also took an online course and brewed 10 litres of delicious craft beer at home.
      I'm hoping to get more insane as I grow older and one day I'll die with gangsta sunglasses on and a joint in my mouth.
      Cheers!!

    • @srilakshmidevanathan8334
      @srilakshmidevanathan8334 Před rokem +33

      @@drankurbaruah wow 😲. Inspiring

    • @drankurbaruah
      @drankurbaruah Před rokem +43

      @@srilakshmidevanathan8334
      Learning new things keeps me alive and helps keep depression at bay.

    • @Maya_hee
      @Maya_hee Před rokem +58

      @@user-gv5hm8po6b How do you know they have their entire life ahead of them? What does "all your life" even mean? For some people that's can only be a decade, for some it can be a few decades. And you don't even know what burdens they have in their life? What if they work a hell of a lot and just don't have the time to sit and learn and entire language?

  • @jcvp2493
    @jcvp2493 Před 7 měsíci

    I was avoiding this video because of the title, but I'm glad I finally watched it. Yep, I agree with some of the points you talked about, maybe not as passionately as you put it, but yeah.

  • @hrishiwagh9916
    @hrishiwagh9916 Před 6 měsíci

    INSPIRING!!!
    revisiting your talk after almost 2 years.

  • @twilightflux6287
    @twilightflux6287 Před 3 lety +399

    Lol i thought his life got destroyed cause he finally understood that there were people who talked about him behind his back and now he knows their language

  • @Rikent
    @Rikent Před 2 lety +3228

    Learning to speak foreign languages has made me realize that I've become worse at speaking my own native language. The more languages I learned the longer it took me to remember even simple words. The words will pop into my head immediately in 3-4 languages but it feels like it was never the language that I needed in that moment. This causes me to mix in foreign words into my sentences which annoys me immensely, especially if the person I'm talking to speaks only one language. Makes me feel like a complete moron and regret that I bothered learning other languages.

    • @tonis8018
      @tonis8018 Před 2 lety +144

      Throw in the accent. I mix up accents, and gets easily confused depending on who I talk with. I sometimes get weird accents when speaking English even though I did not have it before.

    • @shinchen9587
      @shinchen9587 Před 2 lety +8

      Same here.

    • @Punyulada
      @Punyulada Před 2 lety +112

      I know the feeling far too well. English is my third language, and I speak it better (but not fluently) compared to my native and second languages. What makes matters worse is, I'm one of the few remaining reproductive-age L1 speakers of my language in my country, but I don't sound like it. Not when I now struggle to form sentences entirely in my native language and keep borrowing from the second or third languages. How can I hope to preserve my language and culture if I'm already losing it?

    • @FzR123
      @FzR123 Před 2 lety +30

      In morocco we mostly speak 3-4 languages and understand many different dialects, we carry this painful experience to mix foreign words every time.

    • @binomialnomenklatur
      @binomialnomenklatur Před 2 lety +3

      totally me with my french, english and my native language.

  • @BACON-nf2rr
    @BACON-nf2rr Před 8 měsíci +2

    Very true, teachers and parents only ever focus on the simple benefits of knowing many languages but rarely talk about the downsides or more complex aspects, knowing a language and living in different places being one of them, one with their culture always leads to pain once its time to move on to another place. You often think about where it is you truly belong...which of your lives is you.

  • @cube6338
    @cube6338 Před 3 měsíci

    Thank you for giving me motivation

  • @culturehybrid
    @culturehybrid Před rokem +1583

    He speaks with such kindness, and then you realize it's a combination of clarity, knowledge, and feeling. Bless.

  • @frothier76
    @frothier76 Před 3 lety +1837

    Despite not being impressive, just learning "hello" or "good day" in another language can set off this curious feeling when speaking to someone who learned your language. I took French in high school, I am by no means fluent, but I know enough basic french to get around.
    One day at my job, two guys with obvious accents walking in and I noticed one of them spome french to the other. When they came to talk to me about something, they said "hello", I responded "Salut" (french improper/for friends hello). They spoke in some french to me, to which I responded in kind. They livened up more after speaking in french, despite my fumblings with tense conjugation, and I would speak to them in French and they, to I, in English.
    Similarly, a man, born in Poland, and his son, born US, came in. They had almost no accent, but when I heard his son's name I knew they were in some way Polish. I, being a teenager, asked the man if, by chance, they were Polish. He was taken aback slightly and said "yes, how did you know?". I told him how I was learning to be able to transliterate other languages and I had just started on the Polish language. He, like the french gentlemen before, became more lively at that fact.
    It is truly a remarkable experience to be able to access another language in some way and express what you know to others who were born/grew up with it. Maybe it is a symbol that they of different language/nationality are not alone elsewhere, maybe they all thought it was funny some American was trying to talk about their culture (by means of language).
    All I know is learning a foreign language is a curse to me, but maybe a blessing to others.

    • @arabiyyah7965
      @arabiyyah7965 Před 3 lety +74

      I had a similar experience with foreigners who were learning my language, it was so nice,even though I didn't understand them fully, but The joy on their faces when they were speaking to me,they were so happy because someone finally understand them!
      it was priceless!

    • @moondreamy
      @moondreamy Před 3 lety +66

      Please, this is beautiful! Learning languages isn't just about widening your knowledge, it's about connecting with humanity.

    • @JD-jl4yy
      @JD-jl4yy Před 3 lety +28

      Yeah, the small amount of effort it takes to learn a couple of key words in a language are always going to be worth it imo. After that it's up to the person and their situation if it's a sensible investment of time or not.

    • @gustavosalas8165
      @gustavosalas8165 Před 3 lety +5

      Mucho texto

    • @Max-ee2kz
      @Max-ee2kz Před 3 lety +26

      "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. It you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart." - Nelson Mandela