Vintage illustration of a man listening to another man speak, “That’s not the way I heard it…”, 1945. … (+) Screen printing. (Illustration: GraphicaArtis/Getty Images)
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As the saying goes, if the eyes are the windows to the soul, then words are the bridge to the heart. They allow us to externalize the inner workings of our emotions and beliefs, give form to abstract ideas, and reveal biases that help us make sense of the world. And if so, analyze the words people use in their rhetoric to better understand how they connect with and navigate the world. You may need to spend more time on.
In a recent interview on the conservative Hugh Hewitt Show, former President Donald Trump falsely claimed that 13,000 people who crossed the southern border under the Biden administration were murderers. Trump’s causal theory: genetics. In President Trump’s words: “Killers, I believe this. It’s in their genes. And there are a lot of bad genes left in our country right now. ”
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania – April 13: Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald…(+) Trump speaks at a rally outside the Schnecksville Fire Station on April 13, 2024 in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley outside Allentown, hundreds of supporters waited for hours in a line stretching more than a mile to see President Trump speak. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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The inflammatory language used by the former president brings to mind the theory of eugenics (a widely discredited pseudoscience that popularized the idea of a people’s genetic superiority), and suggests that Trump hopes to build a bridge that gives meaning to the world. It’s exposed. If, according to Trump’s calculations, certain groups living in certain parts of the world are genetically predisposed to murder, then the subjugation and marginalization of these people is prima facie justified. Probably.
From previous comments in which he misjudged Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity and described Haiti and African countries as the “worst countries,” Trump’s rhetoric reveals the framework of meaning by which he translates the world. Those who see the world the same way, but also reveal that they connect people with him. This is the power of language. This serves as an entry point into the culture that helps us identify people “like us.” This is important for practitioners and similar citizens.
Culture writer and linguist Amanda Montell talks about language as a way to get people on the same ideological page and make them feel like they belong to a group. Knowing the hidden meanings in coded language is a way to prove the level of intimacy within the community and prove that you are one of us. The use and understanding of dictionaries signals membership and intimacy and provides a currency that community members can exchange as an act of social cohesion. And the effects of this solidarity affect how we vote, what we buy, and nearly every aspect of our social lives.
Marijke de Mooy, a communication scholar and former professor of international advertising at the University of Navarra, believes that culture influences our social needs, which can be met through the use and ownership of innovative products. I am claiming. In other words, consumption is a by-product of culture, and language is a signal of cultural affiliation because it reveals our ideological schemes. As the Bible proves, what comes out of the mouth is the richness of the heart. Therefore, understanding language leads to understanding human nature.
Just as apes groom other apes to foster community, we use language exchange to foster social bonds through acts of mimicry. When conversing with others, we coordinate breaking patterns and use precise words and similar grammatical structures. All of these are means of community building, and dictionaries play an important role in this performative act across society.
The stories of the Bible tell of a time when the world had one language and one common way of speaking. The people settled on the land and decided to build a tower high enough to reach the heavens in case another flood occurred.
According to this story, God considered this a blasphemy and caused people to abandon their faith for the sake of a man-built structure. And Jesus said, “Behold, the people are one, and they have one language; and they have begun to do this; and now what they have imagined to do, It will not be hindered.”
Language enables cooperation between individuals. So God confused their language and gave them different languages so they could not understand each other and therefore could not complete the tower. The Bible calls this place Babel, which today means a chaotic noise like the sound of a baby talking. Regardless of religious leanings, the commonly known story of the Tower of Babel illustrates the role that a community’s vocabulary plays in the way it enables cooperation among its members.
Given the nature of language as a cultural practice, I partnered with consumer insights firm Susie to understand what language Democrats and Republicans use when it comes to hotbed social topics like guns and borders. I figured out if there are any. The group looks at the world and what binds it together.
Using a natural language database to score emotions on a scale of -1 to 1, we conducted an emotion survey among Americans across age and gender. The sample was divided into self-identified Democrats and Republicans to compare and contrast how these different groups use language to construct meaning to better understand “us.” This result tells us a lot about the underlying beliefs that antecedent their voting tendencies.
When surveyed about guns in the United States, Republican respondents spoke strongly and positively about the Second Amendment. Words like “the right to bear arms” are phrases that give us an ideological understanding of how they organize the world, allowing us to better understand their policy preferences. I did. Republican speakers also expressed negative sentiments on the subject of mental health and neutrality regarding background checks and gun violence, and in their assessment, the integrity of the Second Amendment could be compromised. It has been reduced.
Republican respondents’ feelings about guns
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Democratic respondents’ feelings about guns
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When it comes to the topic of abortion, Democrats express positive rhetoric and strong sentiments about personal choice and the right to choose. However, Republican respondents tended to display less positive sentiment in their rhetoric, evoking more neutral stances on topics such as contraception, rape, and incest.
Republican respondents’ feelings about abortion
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Democratic respondents’ feelings about guns
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Surprisingly, the topic of parenting generated positive emotions on both sides. Democrats tend to have the most positive feelings about regulating social media and the most negative feelings about the impact on mental health, a point they share with Republican respondents. Similarly, both parties shared negative sentiments about the polarizing sentiment surrounding the topic of illegal immigration and how the border is covered in the news.
Republican respondents’ feelings about child care
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Democratic respondents’ feelings about child care
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Republican respondents’ feelings on border issues
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Democratic respondents’ sentiments on border issues
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These findings revealed a powerful truth that is perhaps counterintuitive to the current zeitgeist reporting. There is a general belief that the country is more divided than ever. But if analysis of our language is any indication, that may not be the case at all. Understanding these kinds of nuances can make a difference in marketers’ ability to connect with consumers and grow their business. Because marketers are focused on understanding people.
Yes, there are many things we disagree with, and there are factions of the nation with extremist and harmful beliefs. But radicals aside, disagreement is not necessarily a bad thing. Differences of opinion lead to further displacement of reality and help foster more discussion that leads to better solutions and perhaps more important understanding.
However, there are conditions. As James Baldwin once said, “We cannot love each other despite our differences, unless your differences are rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to life.” ”And this distinction can be discerned by the words we choose to express outwardly what is deeply rooted within us. So choose your words wisely.
