Is it not funny how many things can get lost in translation! I am a lucky person, I can speak 3 languages to various levels of success, and I have knowledge of three others. So you would think that the language which would pose the least amount of trouble would be my maternal language.....not so!
More and more, people are using social media, email etc to communicate with each other, all the while loosing the art of voice communication. Don't get me wrong, I love social media, but it is always best to keep a balance/promote moderation where possible.
Over the last years, when I reflect on misunderstandings (not necessarily arguments or anything serious) I have had with people, often it was due to either my lack of explanation in what I said and/or the receiving end misinterpreting my meaning, arriving too quickly at a conclusion based on what I said. It goes to show how the spoken word delivers so much more in a message that cannot be gleamed from a quickly written email, tweet, etc. Additionally, the weird factor is that when I write something that is not in my maternal tongue.....I (understandably) am very keen to make sure that I am implying the correct meaning. More effort is thought about what I am trying to say, and what meaning I am trying to get across. Goes to show....sometimes some of us need to be more aware of how we communicate in our Mother Tongue.... I know I need to be.
To turn the argument around though.....very often the written word can mean so much.....a card with beautifully expressed sentiment from a loved one.....or even a gesture where there are no words at all...such as a gift which was obviously heart felt and thought about; a gift or a card to soften one's worries or concerns, or to share in the delight of a happy event.
Balance and moderation in everything...... :-)
An example would be nice.
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