In this post, I’m going to briefly comment on a quotation taken from the Danish philosopher S. Kierkegaard. It’s an excerpt focused on the relationship between talk and action. He says that:
Mere gossip anticipates real talk, and to express what is still in thought weakens action by forestalling it.
Here’s the thing. As a result of the widespread internet-base social medias, it’s now possible to everybody says whatever they want. Sometimes we can spend a lot of time only ‘navigating’ on the web and releasing “opinions” (one more amusing that the other). And wen we do that, we have the feeling we’re doing something. But we aren’t. Surfing on the web gives us the impression we’re DOING – when, in fact, we’re only killing time.
But I’d like to advance a different point here. What is the role of talking when you are trying to learn a new language? Well, you don’t need to go so far to realize that is a taken-for-granted believe, widespread, that you must speak as much you can to grasp the new language. Well, I have a huge problem with this.
Even when I’m in my country, speaking my native language, I’ve concerns about the pressure we normally suffer to talking all the time. As a professor, I have to talk all the time. And this, for sure, make me sick. For one simple reason: I think we should open our mouth only if, and only if, we’ve something interesting to say. And, let’s be honest here: only a small parcel of people has something interesting to say. Most of the time, we only gossip. And with what purpose? Killing time.
And to be recognized. Yes. I’m in an academic environment, right? And what I experience all the time? People paraphrasing. In other words: they merely rephrase themselves or someone else. They add nothing new. Just gossip, again. This happens because, otherwise, people fell they are nothing. I mean: if they simply keep their mouth shut, they won’t be noticed by other people.
Would be the silence a proof of weakness? To be ignored is tantamount to be nothing, to be dead? So we talk, talk, talk – as if your life depended on this. I talk, therefore I exist. I’m ‘real.’ Nowadays, my biggest problem is talking. The first point: have you ever tried to speak in a foreign language in the same way (deep way) you do in your mother tongue? My conclusion: when you are in this situation, two options are available to you: one, you are completely fluent, in such a way that you even notice you are talking in a different language. Second: you became aware of the language itself. You can be completely aware of the medium. The form suddenly come to the fore. And then, my dear, you realize you are measured by what you’re able to say.
Remain quiet, in this case, is an ambiguous situation. Is he understanding, someone could ask? What’s the reason for his silence? This is an entirely different situation when you are in our country. There, if you don’t speak, it’s because you don’t see a reason to act differently. Your social status doesn’t depend on your amount of speech. But when you are abroad, the silence has an entirely different meaning. People ‘judge’ you according to your speech – or the lacking of speech.
