The Power Behind Language
Before reading: A few definitions I use throughout this essay:
- Corpse refers to one who couldn't move but was not dead — "couldn't move" is the focus.
- Book includes articles and stories composed of 20+ chapters or pages.
- Sprayer refers to what others would call a trash talker — one who is more infectious and damaging, usually with the support of a large community.
- Internet sometimes refers to the audience.
The Power Behind Language
Going straight into the topic, I have lived in a box since the beginning of 2020. Before my knowledge will rot and decay like a corpse struggling to make its way home, I wish to share my understanding of a few languages as well as the secrets behind them. The languages I am going to talk about are Chinese, English, and Japanese.
To begin, I should first talk about my background and relationship with languages. I know many different languages. I am proficient in both Chinese and English since they were considered my native languages. In addition, I have read an ocean of books written in Chinese and English — at least 6,000 books for each language. I can speak Cantonese and understand Indians. My hobbies include watching anime and listening to music in Japanese. I have watched at least the top 150 animes on MyAnimeList, most without subtitles. Regarding music, it was countless as it is something with an opening and an ending. I also listen to music in Korean and German. If you consider computer languages such as Python or Java as languages, then I know a dozen more.
What about listening and speaking? I may be a great listener; however, I am not a great speaker. When I came into contact with the Internet, I came into contact with sprayers. It was stressful and gave rise to a feeling to do more harm. Nevertheless, I was able to control myself because of the education and the environment I grew up in. I didn't hurt anyone, but people got hurt. Those who were in similar situations were depressed. Some had the urge to kill, and some had the urge of dying. To relieve their stress, I had to listen. I needed to be careful with what I had to say — better to stay awkward with others than to hurt them. Being a good listener, I then noticed some power of languages when I was listening to music. It was the beauty of languages.
The Power of English — Pattern and Sequential Arrangement
Since my audience are English readers, I will first talk about the secrets behind English. English has a huge impact on my life. The power of English is about pattern and sequential arrangement. This also applies to languages composed of alphabetical order.
When the power of English hits you, it will grant you the power of sorting — and it's not just limited to math. For example, you may find yourself better at arranging furniture than average non-English speakers. You may be able to memorize something in sequential order better than someone who is usually good at memorization. Since the languages I learned aren't limited to English only, pattern and sequential arrangement hit me harder. When I was coding, I spent more time trying to add lines and spacing (until "prettier" came into play) than to actually code the program.
The Power of Mandarin — Memorization and the Memory Palace
Mandarin has more characters than English. It consists of unique characters that draw and represent each object differently. If the character C is used to describe a cat, C will not be used to describe a cow in Mandarin — a new character is used instead. In Mandarin, characters are pictures.
Because of the number of characters in Mandarin, Chinese people were considered smart because of their strength in memorization. Some have good memorization because of the number of characters; once used to memorizing, they are good at it. For me, it came in the form of the Memory Palace — also known as the method of loci, a memory enhancement technique that uses visualization of familiar spatial environments to enhance the recall of information.
It is like creating a Google search engine in another dimension. When you search for the word "cookies," you could remember its ingredients as well as some events that came along with it — its taste, its texture — because it is physically there in your palace. All you need to do is find the cookie in your palace.
The Power of Japanese — Sound and Resonance
Those who watch anime and speak at least two languages — have you ever wondered why you prefer to watch anime in Japanese? Have you ever listened to music in different languages?
Japanese is considered unique because it is structured with sounds. Japanese has no problem including one English word in the middle of a sentence. It focuses on wavelength so it could easily resonate with emotions. If you know Japanese, you might find yourself to be a great speaker. Some people also develop a unique power to express themselves.
I am a good listener and sensitive to emotions. I have listened to music in many different languages. Even if I don't understand the lyrics, I can still enjoy the music as if I am only resonating with it — hearing the joy, the anger, the depression, or the regret presented by the music. However, it became obvious when the music was sung in Japanese. Ironically, I am not a good speaker even though I can somewhat understand Japanese. Maybe I don't have the power of sounds since I don't know the language after all. Thinking optimistically, maybe it came in another form.
Summary
This summarizes my understanding and the power behind Chinese, English, and Japanese.
This was supposed to be a blog post, and I have written it like an essay…. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.