- Jan 2024
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socialsci.libretexts.org socialsci.libretexts.org
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In the Upper Midwest, “pop” is common, but other areas of the country have their own terms, such as “soft drink,” “soda,” or “coke.”
When I moved to Houston, TX from Detroit, MI, I used the term pop in reference to what is called soda here in Texas. Everyone looked at me, like what do you mean? Confused? I used non-verbal communication, pointing at the "soda" and they new then what I meant. I was even asked why I referred to this soft drink as "pop". I explained up North we use that term more so than the term soda.
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As a child, many have played the game, “telephone.” In this game, the children sit in a row, and the first child says something to the second child, who then shares it with the third child, and so on until it reaches the last child. Typically, the story the last child hears is quite different than the story as it began. Note each time it went from one child to another, the story was re-translated according to each child’s understanding of language. Just like the communication process, every time the message is translated it is changed, so misunderstandings are very common.
I think the game "telephone" is played throughout life. In school and work, and with personal life. You tell a family member a story of something that happened. By the time its gets around to the last receiver, that last receiver translates the "story" to you with questions and it's not the story you originally shared.
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As human organisms, we have limits as to what we can experience through our senses. Given these limitations, we can never experience “all” of what is “out there” to experience…. To the degree that our reactions and responses to all forms of stimuli are automatic, or conditioned, we copy animals, like Pavlov’s dog. To the degree that our reactions and responses are more controlled, delayed, or conditional to the given situation, we exhibit our uniquely-human capabilities (Institute of General Semantics, 2012a).
I believe to an extent our responses are a bit more controlled. but that our reactions and responses are very similar to animals. For instance, if I'm at the grocery store in the check-out line, when I see a group of people in panic and running towards the exit doors. I will run towards to the exit doors as well, without trying to figure out why they're, we're running. I won't stop and think about what danger is near or coming. I'll just run.
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