How to describe......

In today’s papers there was a report about HDTV (high-definition tv). Someone said ‘it is very hard to describe how good a picture looks’. He was referring to the image of HDTV which is more realistic and very much sharper. Those who have used it will not want to switch back to their regular tv. (I don’t have a HDTV set, so I don’t know how good the picture is.)

I remember reading this in a book - A person who has never eaten a mango will not know how a mango tastes like no matter how good your description is. You tell him it is sweet. “Sweet, I know…” this person may think he knows the taste of mangoes already.

But the sweetness of a mango is not the same as the sweetness of an orange or of any other fruit. There are as many types of sweetness as there as many types of fruits.

What about feelings?

I often hear this phrase in HK drama serials when a person tries to console another person – ‘I understand how you feel’.

She is sad or angry but you won’t know the exact feeling or the degree of sadness. Even if you have a similar experience, due to the difference in character your feeling is not quite the same.

Does a man know the feeling or pain in giving birth? He thinks he understands the feeling or he can imagine the pain but will he ever know.

There are things we think we understand or know but actually we do not.

By the same reasoning, we may not understand our friends, so it is better to be more tolerant and not to judge too quickly.

Thank you for reading this wuliao ramblings.