There is a sequence in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy TV Series where they mention an alien race with telepathy... except, it was perfect telepathy. They could at all times hear whatever another was thinking. It was, apparently, maddening and hellish, because they couldn't help their motives and feelings being known to those around them. The cataclysm wrought by Disaster Area's concert dispersed most of this power and at last they could have some privacy. They were delighted.BlackWaltzTheThird wrote:This is, admittedly, a fascinating topic. If I may weigh in my point of view here...
<snip, no disrespect intended>
I certainly don't believe myself to be thinking in concepts only. There is something I recall one of my lecturers saying earlier in the year; "the invention of communication, be that spoken, written, or whatever other form, granted humans the ability to express themselves, while simultaneously placing a finite limit on the things we can express". I definitely think in English. But not written or spoken English. Just English, devoid of any definite form. Somehow. And that often causes me to have difficulty expressing what I think, because there isn't language to match it. To use a somewhat unrelated example, I compose music; however, I only do so in my head, because the sounds I (or any instrument) am able to make in the real world do not match the sounds in my head. This frustrates me greatly.
I've heard the same thing as your lecturer, that mankind is doomed to never be fully understood by his fellow man. Now, this is largely due to social graces/avoiding being punched in the nose (delete as appropriate). You *can* speak your mind all the time. Don't expect many friends. Oh sure, people will say, "wow, that guy is great, s/he really speaks their mind" but that will last up until you say something they don't agree with or didn't want passed on. Then they'll hate you too.
From what I've found so far, the Deaf community are very blunt... this is why many hearing people think they're rude. They'll tell you just what they think and fuck you if you don't like it. Accept your flaws (even if you think they're just in that person's opinion) or fuck off, basically. It's harsh but it's also honest. It's something I hope to learn and experience more of, as the pussyfooting and massaging of one's words to avoid upsetting other people can sometimes be annoying. That person is an ass. Everyone thinks they are. Maybe it is just better if they know? It'll be harsh (and I expect someone will think I'm an ass at some point and have trouble coping at first) but in the end you can give as good as you get and you're seeing the real person. Honesty is valued. Tangents you say?
Feel free. I don't think Shizune is culturally Deaf (we don't know what parts of the community she may have had contact with) but certainly everyone else in Yamaku thinking she's a bitch might well be explained by Deaf bluntness.Not sure where I was going with this. Looking over it, it becomes increasingly tangential as time wears on. Feel free to disregard my contribution if you feel it adds negligible content to the discussion.