https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meanings-behind-words-emotions-arent-universal-study-finds-180973834/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20191220-daily-responsive&spMailingID=41393458&spUserID=ODU1Njc2OTExOTgxS0&spJobID= [login to see] &spReportId=MTY2MTkwOTc0MgS2
I have studied eleven different languages during my lifetime, not to speak them, but rather to better understand and use my own. Along the way I have been rewarded with many insights into the humor of misunderstanding. Although two words in different languages may mean the same thing, they may have vastly different connotations. For example, I once wrote an instruction manual using the theme "It's as simple as 1-2-3". Unfortunately, when translated into German, that phrase is an insult ("Just how stupid are you"). For someone who thinks primarily in images, these issues can be especially perplexing...