Learning Languages Ruined My Life transcript

in summer 2015 when i was walking by maggots books my favorite bookstore in seattle at three o'clock in the morning my eyes were immediately caught by the title of a book and the yellow glen behind the window so i went there the next morning bought it and read it the book is probably not the best collection of essays i've ever read but the title has since then stayed with me the moral obligation to be intelligent what does that have to do with learning languages do speaking foreign languages make you more intelligent it depends is the ability to speak another language part of intelligence not necessarily but be intelligent and knowing for all languages do share one thing in common they're both painful and by painful i don't mean the annuity of tediously long lectures or vocabulary and grammatical studies or the expanse of time for the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge nor even the loneliness your dedication to the endeavor could bring up on you the pain the true torment is the confusion for the bigger the circle of the known the greater the contact with the unknown and the more firmly unlearned beliefs used to stand the more helplessly your new identity totters if you're lucky enough to study farsi you may realize that not all the beautiful poetry is written in your mother tongue the persian epics written in the sassanid empire are as beautiful as poems of the tang dynasty if you happen to study spanish you may realize that what you thought so unique an aspect of your culture has a similar counterpart in another culture that the puerto rican amortia is almost identical with the korean sunday if russian is your language you may realize that not all the important battles that change the course of human history were fought on your native land that the russian defeat of the golden horde at the field of kulikuova is no less significant than the reconquest of granada in spain can't you do this by reading history one may ask yes but history written by whom and for whom because you see after learning a language if you care enough part of you becomes the member of the tribe to which the language belongs and that cultural schizophrenia can be truly excruciating that pain however can be easily offset but the better chances of employment in your job market or the simple pleasures of impressing your friends at the dinner table with political intrigues and historical anecdotes played out in five different languages why then would anyone was not a crazy masochist want to learn a foreign language yes to communicate with people yes to travel to different places yes to advance your career in a globalized world yes it is good for your brain but more importantly as potentially excruciating as it is it is for those curious enough to see the world as it is and those brave enough to tear down the veils of bigotry instead of comfortably hiding behind the linguistic barrier and refusing to step forward and know your fellow human beings or even the so-called enemies i am by no means accusing those not fond of foreign languages of being cowards if anything they have to be forever more on their guard of the bigotries the fatuities and the language barrier and constantly seek more reliable sources of information indeed the pursuit of knowledge is almost by definition a sort of masochism and language learning is no exception but in such pain and perhaps only in such pain can we overcome misunderstandings bridge cultures and civilizations and find a world of peace and prosperity you