Beyond language comprehension, there is also the matter of world-view. What we in the west understand as quiet sophistication, elegance and subtlety is based on our upbringing and experiences. Images of old leather, French-polished timber, parchment, lace, marble., a hint of gilt edging - but nothing flamboyant. And all this, just as highlights, on a background that is simple, uncluttered and easy on the eye. These are not the same experiences as people in the East have as part of their upbringing. Eastern constructs of what constitutes class and style can extend beyond the nouveau-riche bourgeoisie, to the veritably gaudy. Anticipating the graphic designer’s meaningful response to my creative brief was probably a wrong expectation on my part – and a lesson that has cost me dearly in time.
Lesson: That the meaning of words is highly value-laden. That we each attribute meaning to words by attributing to them our own values. Our values are specific to our individual and unique experiences. Therefore we can never assume a uniform interpretation of meaning. The closer our common experiences, the closer our attributed meanings are likely to be. The more divergent our cultural experiences, the more divergent our attribution of meaning will be. Just because we share words, we should not assume we are sharing understanding.
