[Kristian]

an inheret problem in language is its inability to express emotion properly.
suppose someone comes to you and tell you that they have been raped. they try to explain to you how this experience made them feel. they use words like "horrible" and "freightening" but (assuming you havnt been raped) you find it hard to relate to this person's experience. i mean, what more would you know about how they felt than you know about Hell when someone tells you it is hot and dreadful? (to borrow the words of our fellow infp, Franz Kafka). what i mean, is that emotions are like colors, they can't be described by mere words.
and i think the alienation and loneliness that comes with the realization that language is an inadequate means of expressing ones emotions hits us infp's expecially hard.
of course, this is just speculation based on my own experiences, but would guys agree? have any of you felt this way?
have any of you found a way to communicate ones emotions by other means?

[Eylrid]

Language has a hard time communicating anything that the hearer hasn't either experienced or experienced something similar. For example, how would you describe the taste of salt to someone who was never had salt or salty food?

Music is the language of emotion. Any emotion that can be felt can be expressed through music.

[rowingineden]

I agree, our spoken language, at least, seems inadequate to describe one's inner, subjective experiences, particularly concepts such as emotions. But, this inadequacy can be lessened with the addition of intonation, body movement, facial expression, and the energy of what we are trying to convey, though that last one seems to be a bit hard to get to Sensors/Thinkers.

[Rogue Eagle]

Use analogies. Use some kind of verbal imagery.

A gay friend of mine linked me to a video of this guy who was talking about life as a gay person to a studio audience. He got the audience to imagine a life in which straight people were the 'odd ones out' and projected a bunch of situations that gay people face.

I wish I could find the link, it's quite something (edit: YouTube - Brian McNaught - What it's like to be in the closet ). The audience really got a sense of what a gay person might feel, yet most of them weren't. He was good at putting people into anothers shoes, with only words.

I think you could allow people to experience other emotions by putting people into the shoes of a person experiencing X emotion.

[Molock]

It's true, spoken language if often inadequate. I encounter similar problems when I try to convey my thoughts and ideas through words. It's not uncommon for me to simply remain silent because I can't think of a way to put certain thoughts into words.

[PanolX]

speak in prose.


?

[sarek]

Words are so dreadfully inadequate. I feel that very sharply when my gf and me try to express our feelings when we are not physically together(which is most of the time, the distance is 250 miles)

We both know the intensity of our feelings but the words we have available to express them are so inadequate and one dimensional. We even tried inventing new words but not even that is enough.

[Darkestblue]

an inheret problem in language is its inability to express emotion properly.
suppose someone comes to you and tell you that they have been raped. they try to explain to you how this experience made them feel. they use words like "horrible" and "freightening" but (assuming you havnt been raped) you find it hard to relate to this person's experience. i mean, what more would you know about how they felt than you know about Hell when someone tells you it is hot and dreadful? (to borrow the words of our fellow infp, Franz Kafka). what i mean, is that emotions are like colors, they can't be described by mere words.
and i think the alienation and loneliness that comes with the realization that language is an inadequate means of expressing ones emotions hits us infp's expecially hard.
of course, this is just speculation based on my own experiences, but would guys agree? have any of you felt this way?
have any of you found a way to communicate ones emotions by other means?

The same exact thing has been on my mind before, too. I have made it one of my missions in life to help people truly understand each other. I believe there is a way we can truly show one another exactly the way we see and feel about things. That is, as long as we have a common understanding of what it is. It wouldn't be trying to explain what the color green looks like to a blind person. I think of it as the best possible result you could get from putting someone in your shoes.

[MilkyLatte]

Language is only like 10% of communication. I know a guy whose facial expression is always the same, neutral expression except for the rare occasions when he laughs. I simply can't communicate with him because I have no idea how he reacts upon what I say. And most of the time when I'm talking to others, most of their words just enters one ear and exits through the other, yet I'm able to follow the conversation simply by looking at them and unconsciously reading their body language..

Like with that woman in the "fo!" thread, I don't understand her intentions at all. But if I had been in the same room with her and she had given me the rant verbally, I'd probably know what it's all about in a matter of seconds..

[Eylrid]

Use analogies. Use some kind of verbal imagery.

A gay friend of mine linked me to a video of this guy who was talking about life as a gay person to a studio audience. He got the audience to imagine a life in which straight people were the 'odd ones out' and projected a bunch of situations that gay people face.

I wish I could find the link, it's quite something (edit: YouTube - Brian McNaught - What it's like to be in the closet ). The audience really got a sense of what a gay person might feel, yet most of them weren't. He was good at putting people into anothers shoes, with only words.

I think you could allow people to experience other emotions by putting people into the shoes of a person experiencing X emotion.

That's a good perspective on it.