There are things that no amount of words can convey; there are also moments when silence speaks most eloquently.
In Japanese culture, reading the meaning that lies beyond words has long been held to be a virtue.
In a modern society where people of diverse backgrounds live side by side, however, relying on a culture of tacit understanding alone is no longer realistic.
In workplaces and schools alike, communicating with people who share none of one’s assumptions has become an everyday challenge.
What is required is not to fall silent for fear of being misunderstood, but to choose one’s words with the listener’s understanding in mind and take the trouble to explain.
That said, it can hardly be enough simply to put everything into words.
Perhaps the essence of dialogue lies precisely in the stance of acknowledging what cannot be said and yet still attempting to say it.
Tap a word in the text to see its meaning. Tip: characters are not marked wrong while the IME conversion is still pending.