Net Slang
When Slang Names Emotions That Cannot Be Verbalized
Many net slangs such as 'pien', 'kusa', 'sore na', and 'emoi' have given concise and powerful names to subtle and complex emotions that conventional language could not capture. This question re-examines what happens at the moment when slang gives a name to 'unverbalizable emotions'. By giving a name, the emotion becomes shareable with others and self-perception also changes. However, there is also the risk that the original ambiguity or depth will be lost. It is a question about the power of slang's naming act to change the very nature of emotions.
The view that by slang giving a name, emotions that were previously unconscious are 'discovered' and recognized as existing. It emphasizes the power of language to create emotions.
A critical view that the act of naming binds fluid and diverse emotions to a single word, damaging their richness. Slang is convenient but risks robbing emotions of their depth.
The view that names do not reside in an individual's inner world but gain meaning within relationships in the community. It sees slang naming as a social act that connects lonely emotions to 'those who understand'.
A neutral view that slang is merely a convenient tool and has no power to change emotions themselves. It can lead to either discovery or fixation depending on how it is used.
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Have you recently had an emotion that you 'couldn't put into words'? How did you feel at that time?
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Have you had an experience where slang (pien, kusa, emoi, etc.) gave a name to your 'unverbalizable emotion'?
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Have you ever felt that an emotion was simplified when you expressed it with slang?
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How do you feel about the difference between leaving an 'unverbalizable' emotion as it is and giving it a name?
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If there were no slang, do you think your emotions would have been richer, or more ambiguous?
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When the other person conveys an emotion with slang, do you think 'I understand' or 'I want to know more'?
This theme is a quiet space to think about the power of the 'name' that slang gives to emotions, and its light and shadow. Let's explore together the importance of facing our own emotions carefully without relying too much on convenient words.
- Unverbalizable Emotion
- Ambiguous and complex inner states that are difficult to express accurately in words. Slang makes sharing and recognition possible by giving them concise labels.
- Naming
- The act of giving a name to something intangible. Once named, it becomes an object of communication with others and gains presence.
- Power of Slang
- The power to express nuances that official language cannot capture in a short, creative way. It simultaneously 'discovers' and 'shares' emotions.
- Self-Perception
- How one understands and verbalizes one's own emotions and states. The naming by slang can sometimes change this framework of self-perception.
- Shareability
- The degree to which an individual's inner world resonates with others. Naming dramatically increases shareability.
- Loss of Ambiguity
- The risk that by giving a name, the original complexity or polysemy becomes fixed to a single image and is lost.
If you were to express a recent emotion that you 'don't know how to put into words' using slang, what word would you use? Also, do you think that word would truly convey it?
If all slang disappeared from this world, what do you think would happen to your 'unverbalizable emotions'? Would they become richer, or would you become more lonely?
When the other person conveys an emotion with slang, try listening while imagining the unverbalizable part that lies 'behind' that slang.
- What emotions were 'discovered' by the birth of the word 'pien'?
- What state were emotions in before they were named by slang?
- When AI starts generating slang, how will the naming of emotions change?
- Do people who dislike slang feel resistance to the 'verbalization' of emotions itself?
- What happens when one slang expresses multiple emotions at the same time?
- Is slang naming widening the gap in emotional understanding between generations?