Читать книгу The Communication Playbook - Teri Kwal Gamble - Страница 197

In some cultures, symbolism and vagueness are embedded in language, and people intuitively understand that words do not necessarily mean what they say. According to social scientist Kian Tajbakhsh, 80% of language in the West is denotative, whereas in countries such as Iran, 80% is connotative. In the West, yes generally means yes; in Iran, yes can mean yes, but it often also means maybe or no. In Iran, people use a social principle called taarof (insincerity) to avoid conflict. According to this principle, people will tell you what they think you want to hear. They will praise you, but they won’t necessarily mean it.³⁸

What kinds of problems can result when people from different cultures use words so differently?