汉语: 1051 Million People
English: 510 Million People
हिन्दी: 490 Million People
Español: 420 Million People
Россию: 255 Million People
These are the top 5 spoken languages in the world. I know words from only 4 of the above. I can’t read 3 of the scripts above. I can have a conversation in 2 of the above. I am completely fluent in 1 of the above.
Should I be embarrassed? Perhaps. Though I am technically trilingual (I can speak English, Spanish and Persian to varied degrees), I can barely communicate with 984 million out of the 6900 million citizens of this planet. That is eighty-five percent of the earth's population that I cannot speak to. Looking back on it, yes, I should be embarrassed.
Animals of the same species from all over the world are able to communicate with each other just fine. You can take a dog from Tajikistan and place him with another dog from Nairobi, and the two will communicate just fine. However, we-the ones claiming to be the most advanced species-can barely say hello to a person who may live a country away. Embarrassing. Truly embarrassing.
We all want Unity. Unidad. وحدة. 统一. единство. Eendrag. एकता. Unité. Kesatuan. ενότητα. 団結. 통일. Einheit. يو تېاوو אחדות. Umoja. Birlik. وحدت. ubunye. เอกภาพ. Pagkakaisa. đoàn kết. اتحاد. Unueco.
How do we achieve this end if we cannot even speak to one another? What can I do as a single person to help reach this unity of mankind? In reality, I actually can communicate with others without actually using words. But how? Through expression, through action!
This is why I play the piano. This is why I practice Taekwondo. This is why I perform in dramatic productions. This is why I study science. This is why I want to be a doctor.
Everything I do is so that I can communicate with others to various degrees. These are all methods of communication allowing me to reach wider audiences than my words alone. They are routes to meet new friends, form new relations with others and help me be me.
Without speaking a word the world can understand what I am saying. I do not need a translator. Rather than speaking to somebody, I can speak with them.
With the barrier of language removed, the road to unity can begin to be paved. This is why I do anything: to be a single movement towards this road. Cliché? Of course. Honest? No doubt about it.
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