The power of words. The words of power - Mankind is no island.
Mankind is no island
Welcome IB DP Language A students from the two cities of New York and Lahore! :)
Here's a Tropfest
Short Film Festival Winner of 2008, Mankind is no Island, that both Mrs DiSiena and I felt would be perfect to get
our blog rolling.
Please
watch the video and reflect on the
following questions:
- In thinking about the power of words, how does a video such as this influence your thinking? Are there certain words that have more power than others? Explain.
Within this thread, please write one original comment and reply to at least two other posts.
Thank you :)
Mrs DiSiena & Ms Sadaf
Mrs DiSiena & Ms Sadaf
Displaying stunning visuals of an ever-changing city like New York, "Mankind is no island" combines instrumental music with the display of powerful words in a three-and-a-half minute sequence.
ReplyDeleteA video like this one would influence one's thinking by forcing the human mind to link certain visuals, sounds, and emotions with certain words/ideas. Sounds which are more upbeat and have faster tempos are associated with words like love and happiness. This increases the power afforded to these words. One would also be subconsciously manipulated by techniques the video-maker uses such as introducing long pauses after certain words he or she wants to give more importance to. A highly evident example is the five second stay given to the word "away", emphasizing the seriousness of the issue of people looking away. The video also gives certain words power by including documented examples and representations of that word, such as people ignoring the needy and walking past them - a representation of looking away. Power is also distributed to words via repetition; The phrase 'No standing' is successively displayed several times.
Through its many representations of these words, the video places a subtle emphasis on ethics. Love goes to show how emotions are reciprocated. Families and words like "children" show the importance of loyalty, family and aiding each other. The visuals displaying blind people not being tended to, homeless people being ignored, and beggars walked past also shows the lack of empathy and emotional understanding which is a serious issue of modern-day ethics.
I agree with this, the sounds of music can really effect the way a person perceives the video and their thought on it.
DeleteI strongly share these observations with you Hasan. The instrumental behind the video can more powerfully convey the message communicated.
DeleteStrong observations through tying the music/ pace to the immediate message. Along with noticing the repetition in the no standing sign I missed that in the video.
DeleteI agree with this. the strong tempo of the music backs up the powerful message of the video.
DeleteI agree, the music correlates really well with the words. Each word gets its own individual beat.
DeleteI like how you went deeper into the meaning of the video and connected the words and phrases used in the video to ethics. I completely looked over that when I was watching the video, but I agree that it supports an ethical standpoint even if its subtle.
DeleteOverall, I feel by using such a technique of displaying one word or a small set of words from a sentence at a time, the video forces the viewers’ attention to the message being portrayed. More emphasis is put on some words such as “Mankind” which is shown for a prolonged number of beats, in comparison to other words. At one point, the word “love” isn’t even displayed, but instead symbolised with hearts being shown repetitively. Again, this difference in representation draws attention and makes this part of the video seem more significant.
ReplyDeleteThe technique of using repeated symbols as a way to emphasise the message does work, as humans recognise symbols as devices that hold more meaning that just words.
DeleteAlizeh, I agree with this! Having the mix of words and symbols definitely gives it a sense of importance and shows how both have an impact on the way we think/perceive ideas.
DeleteI agree. I think the stress on certain words in the video is very insightful and makes you think a little more on they message being conveyed.
DeleteI agree, I think using different words and phrases shows the significance and how words can affect our feelings and ideas.
DeleteAlizeh,
DeleteI agree with the idea of how, throughout the video, the creator wanted to express the power of words through the sound of music, symbolism through objects, body language, and the expression in people's faces. This was all done for the person watching this video to understand how words can be expressed in a variety of ways.
Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. They can be used to convey all sorts of emotions, and perspectives. They have the ability to heal, harm or even humiliate people.
ReplyDeleteVideos such as the one above, greatly affect one’s thinking. One of the reasons for this is the use of music. Throughout this video, in the background slow and soothing music is being played by a piano. This creates a very tranquil and calming effect, which makes me feel more relaxed watching this video. I also feel that this helps produce more emphasis on the words shown in the clip, since the music makes me more focused on the video.
Aside from the music, the use of strong words also aides in influencing my thinking. Here, words like “love” are often used, that highlight strong emotions. This word has been used multiple times in the video (through a written form and through the heart symbol), which for me outlines its importance. Furthermore, there are some words that are far more powerful than others, e.g. “love” is a much stronger version of the word “like”. We often use the term “like”, even for things we are not too fond of, e.g. “I like jogging”, however the word “love” represents a deep desire or feeling; such as “I love my family”.
In the video the word “empathy” was used, this is a term, which I feel is very powerful. Empathy is the ability to understand one’s emotions and share these experiences and feelings. This word alone is the main factor, on which human and animal ethics lies upon. Reciprocity, generosity, sympathy and kindness are some of the key aspects of empathy. So, there are indeed some words that are very powerful, and there some aspects of texts (such as the video above), that influence my thinking.
Mustafa,
DeleteI agree with you as I also believe that words are the most powerful force available to humanity. As we learned in "TOK language (and words) is a tool which used used to pass down knowledge thus language is a source of creation of knowledge
Mustafa,
DeleteI wholeheartedly agree that words are the most powerful force available to humanity. Without words we would need to rely on body language to communicate, we wouldn't be able to fully get our thoughts, ideas and emotions across which could lead to many negative consequences.
I agree, words allow us to communicate with others and convey our emotions and feelings.
DeleteMustafa,
DeleteI genuinely agree with your statement on how the background music of the video, helped convey a message. It allowed the person watching the video to understand what the creator was trying to portray and make the listener feel.
I agree that the music used in this video does have a powerful impact on the overall tone of the video.
DeleteHi, I am Hassan Dawood Khan, currently studying in DP 1. I have chosen English Language and Literature as one of my HL subjects and in class we are studying about Aristotle and ethics in general.
ReplyDeletePrior to watching this video, I had never really thought about the power of words in this way. However, watching this video has changed my ideology completely. I understand now that arranging alphabets in a specific order doesn't make a 'word', neither does it become 'powerful' but it is the meaning and its application in our lives, cultures and traditions that does.
In my opinion, some words are definitely more powerful because of the global or local significance they have which make them meaningful across global boundaries and divisions. I am also beginning to think it is the 'ethics' behind the use of words that makes them powerful.
For example in the video, the 3 words I personally found the most powerful were empathy, happy and freedom. These all are related to what we are studying in Ethics, and play an important role in promoting peace, reciprocity, compassion and equality which seems to be the message behind the video. The power of these words can be felt not only through the visuals of the video but also the music which adds emotional appeals to the ethics being promoted.
I agree with you, but when the right words are used in the right sequence those words have the power to influence one's mind by making the person think about how these words are applied in our lives, cultures and tradition.
DeleteI disagree with "ethics behind the use of words make them powerfull". The reason why I disagree is that words wether they have ethics behind them or not they can still be powerfull. Words of all kind are powerfull in different ways. The power of words can be hurtful towards oneself or inspirational towards oneself. Words have a unique power of bring in motivation in a person or demotivating a person, so overall words are always powerfull, doesn't matter if ethics is used behind the word or not.
I agree with you, the combination of important words and symbols, and the music definitely highlights the impact and importance of this video and message.
DeleteI agree with you, the power of words is not only the tone in which we say it but the emotions behind the words being said. The same words are used in numerous amounts of ways, its just the way you make them out to be is the importance of them.
DeleteDear students,
ReplyDeleteThank you for initiating a thoughtprovoking discussion. That's good critical thinking guys!
I am listing a series of questions below to now push us all into the deeper waters of the DP Curriculum and framework. You can choose to answer anyone of them:
What iexplicit connections can you draw between the words, images, muscial notes, the arrangement and the theme that the author wishes to represent?
What Global Issue is the text addressing? Justify with evidence.
Those of you, from TNS, who have recently sat for the IB MYP Grade 10 E assessment for Language and Literature, could recall the non literay task on making a community website to raise awarness about the importance of preserving intergenerational relationshps. How does this video support that message? Why is this an important concern for the IB?
Go for it! :) Waiting to hear from you :)
The non literary task in our IB MYP Language and Literature exam mainly revolved around preserving inter generational relationships with older citizens within our community. This video supported that message with the added element of bettering relationships with individuals (regardless of their age), outside our community and not only with those who belong to the same socioeconomic class as us. The video uses many visual examples of homeless individuals that are quite emotionally provoking, allowing us to the see the obliviousness of the general public towards those less unfortunate than them.
DeleteIn my opinion, this video seems to be addressing the global issue of inequality which also happens to be the 10th UN sustainable development goal. This goes to show that inequality is a problem prevalent across the globe as many people from lower social classes aren't even provided with basic necessities such as shelter. They aren't treated with and shown, the respect and empathy they deserve. It can be reasonably inferred that they are, in a way, "abandoned". This is expressed in the video with the words "No sunflower", "No rainbow" which create a sad, gloomy effect and have a profound impact on us as viewers, compelling us to contemplate our actions, our words and the impact we have on others.
My initial thoughts were about the anti-homeless attitudes that persist in NYC. How people rationalize being able to walk by the countless people you see laying on the streets, unable to find a roof to sleep under and seemingly not eating well.
ReplyDeleteI’ve heard some disgusting things. “Some homeless people will hold the door for you, those are the types you should give your money to.”, “people fake homelessness all the time, it’s just a ploy to get you to give them cash”, “if you give them money, they’ll only use it to spend on drugs, or something ‘unnecessary’.”. All of these serve to help New Yorkers feel better about passing by a poor soul on the street corner. It’s a hard thing to rationalise. Even more so when you like to consider yourself ‘one of the most generous cities on the planet’, or by believing the phrase ‘New Yorkers help New Yorkers’ wholeheartedly.
I feel, that with enough effort, we could became far better at helping out other New Yorkers, and people around the world.
Perhaps my thoughts are a bit too localized, being someone who lives near one of the cities featured in the video, and with lots of family deeply tied to the city, but the imagery of people in unfortunate situations are stark, and not at all uncommon to see if you go to the city with any amount of frequency.
The indifference and callousness that you've shared, wrt the homeless, is common in our attitudes here in Pakistan too, TJ. Ironically we too are proud of our 'generosity and hospitality' as a nation. And so, we can say, whether its New York, Sydney or Lahore, the question in the video, Is it the people or the place? is meant to echo through the empty hallways of compassion and empathy. Thank you for your sensitive response. It is this that is needed to probe through the root causes of why we 'look' 'away' and instead, attempt, like the video, to piece together the fragmentations that surrounds us
Deletesurround us.
DeleteI think your response is very insightful, and I think that your thoughts on the way the New York homeless are treated are applicable to cities throughout the world.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe main theme of the video is that the city says that they will protect you, that they will help you, that they will make life better, and that you can live happy, but they betrayed the homeless, the poor, and everybody else who isn’t happy, and they betrayed these people because the city wasn’t there for them when they needed help, and didn’t help them out when they weren’t happy. The video puts this theme out there by showing many signs of negative words, and making sentences with those words showing that they’re not happy, and that some are homeless and on the streets.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your response Chris. You summarized this video nicely.
DeleteI like the way you described "the city not being there for them when they needed it", that was very powerful and I understand what you're saying.
DeleteInitially, when I heard that it was filmed with only a cell phone I was expecting it to be a short story with characters and a plot, rather than a message. After watching the film I really liked how the message was about homelessness, a global problem. Also, the attention to detail that the creators made, making sure every word in the message was translated into a sign in the streets of Sydney and New York was really creative. However, I found myself forgetting what the message was because I didn’t have enough time to really understand what was going on. I read one sign, then another, then another. At the end I got how the film was about homelessness, but it didn’t leave as much as an impact than I thought the film would. I wish that the creators at the end of the film meshed all of the signs into one picture, so viewers can read the whole message at once and fully understand and appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that the video was fast-paced, and indeed, it did get difficult sometimes to read the words. The font, design and colour used to show each of the words, as well as the camera angle for some made them difficult to follow.
DeleteHowever, I would like to ask you why you think this video was not impactful, as I felt that the message was very clear?
Also, you wrote that you kept "forgetting what the message was" but in my opinion the words could have been forgotten (as I mentioned above) but at he same time, the message was made clear because of the repetition of impactful words and brief flashes of the homeless in between.
I agree with your interpretation of the video and can see how at first you felt the video was going to be short and not have as much insightful messages displayed.
DeleteI agree that the fact the video was fast paced that it was difficult figuring out what was going on but after seeing it a couple of times I was able to find insightful messages.
DeleteThe film has used a unique method of conveying it's message to the audience. The film forces the audience to sync with the instrumental music and connect it to the words/ideas that is being portrayed. The film shows how the people who are unfortunate are being ignored in cities, it breaks the stereotype about how people think about Sydney and New York it breaks the stereotype that people here are being ignored too and how we humans have forgotten how to love. The word mankind is used a lot in the video and the word love also showing how humans have forgotten what empathy is. It also questions the belief that "Is empathy based on how much donations you give?". Unlike other films that have a lovely message for people, this film makes sure that the message is being conveyed to the people by using instrumental music to catch the attention of the people and by using singular words in a sequence, so the viewer is forced to read the message and understand what people go through and the visuals also have a huge impact that makes the viewers understand the whole message and make the viewers more passionate to be more empathetic.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSaad,
DeleteWhen I began watching the video I also recognized the uniqueness of it. I agree that the instrumental music was a good addition to capture the viewers attention. By showing words one at a time, people have to pay close attention to the message being conveyed which led them to form a deeper understanding.
I agree with you, Saad. The unique film does use the combination of instrumental music and short clips to engage the viewer in the message.
DeleteI completely agree. The film uses the instrumental music to further convey their message. Although there are no words within, music is able to evoke emotions just as much as words.
Delete
ReplyDeleteThe video includes a series of words put together to form sentences logically and systematically. The video influences my thinking through the wide variety of words used such as hope, love, and huger. The use of such vivid language creates an impact on the audience, which heightens the significance of the global issue raised through the video. Throughout my life experiences, I have associated different words with different meanings that are specific to every individual, based on their life journey. Therefore different words used to evoke different emotions and memories from my everyday life. For example when I see the words, ‘No Sunflower’ and ‘No Rainbow’, I instantly think of a gloomy, dark, and abandoned world because I associate emotions of happiness, lightness, and cherishing memories of life with the words, ‘Sunflower’ and Rainbow’, and since there is a negation of these words, it makes me feel the opposite way.
In my opinion, certain words hold more power and depth to them. These strong words are oftentimes at polar opposite scales from each other. For example, the use of both words of ‘hate’ and ‘love’ expresses extreme emotions, and is an incentive of validation during the formation of strong arguments. Therefore, I feel like in our daily lives we often feel the need to use superlatives and hyperboles to get our point across more effectively by grabbing the attention of the listener with words of strong demeanor.
In conclusion, the video changed my metric of judging power a specific word holds within it and I feel that meaning and the strength of a word changes over time, according to the utilization and the context it is used in.
This video puts things into perspective as far as different social classes go, especially in big cities where there is lots of class distinction, especially based upon wealth. The unfortunate reality is that there are a lot of people that live on the streets of most, if not every city in the world. The video really makes one think about how lucky they are to be where they are, or that they are not in a worse place.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to TJ's response, I also think that there are a lot of unfortunate stigmas against the homeless of the world's cities, especially New York; that they are ungrateful, drug addicts, that they need to get off the streets already, and go somewhere else. I think it says a lot about a person that can say these hateful things about a person they quite frankly know nothing about, and I think it says a lot about a culture and/or society that these stigmas are kind of mainstream now.
This is a very insightful response Brian. I agree with you and TJ that there are many unfortunate stigmas against the homeless in cities such as New York City.
DeleteThis video made me realize that sometimes all a person needs is for someone to listen. This video brings the point that looking at the exterior of something doesn’t always define everything. Although New York City is a very famous place and known for glamour and united people, it still has many people who are homeless and in need. Words such as united and empathy are two very important words because people say they have empathy and are united with other people but when the situation arises people don’t come to the challenge.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Gigi, people view NYC as a very glamours place, which it is but some don't know how much people there are in need.
DeleteI agree, the use of a contrast from NYC to the real situation emphasized it's point.
DeleteI think you're correct Gigi, what we see on the outside of a place and what we hear about it can be very different from the experiences people have with a location first hand.
DeleteI agree with you Gigi. We had a few similar points in our reflections, that included how people view certain things versus how they truly are. For example, New York City is viewed by most people as such an amazing and uplifting place, however most people don't see the poverty and homelessness that is present in the city.
DeleteThis is a really good point Gigi, a lot of people recognize and focus on the good things of a place whether it's NY or somewhere else, that they forget to see what we still have to work on as a community. Just to clarify, I'm not saying that we should not put aside the good things, but that we should not ignore the issues so then in unity we can correct these morals.
DeleteThis video has a different kind of method. It uses instrumental music and words to show how unfortunate people are. I like this method, it brings out emotions and shows the reality of the people. In addition, viewers are kind of forced to read what is on the screen because of the one word method they used, which was very clever. They want viewers to know what they are trying to convey. I liked how creative the video was. Making every word that was shown, transferred on to a sign either in Sydney or NY. However, The detail in the video was very precise and accurate. Overall, this video shows how powerful one word can be and how it has an impact on the world and people.
ReplyDeleteI liked this method too, it was very different from anything else I've watched and it was very powerful
DeleteI agree with you Arianna. The methods they use are very unique techniques that really help to show the emotions in the video.
DeleteI agree with Arianna. The video is very powerful as it uses a mixture of instrumental music and creative videography to it's advantage to portray it's message in an outstanding and impactful way.
DeleteI like how you talked about the method that the producers used during this video. I agree with their choice too i thought it was a smart way to grasp the audience into actually reading the words and understand the message.
DeleteThis video influenced the way I think in the way that it highlights to me the issues we have in our city/state. We see NYC as a famous city filled with opportunity and light. While it does have those things, it also has poverty and homelessness. Words like 'hope' and 'empathy' are words that can be used as a segway to talk about the issues we have in our cities and how to behave towards one another.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. New York City is portrayed to be this amazing place when there are people suffering on the streets
DeleteI agree with your statement. The use of those words and use of NYC do emotionally help convey such topics.
DeleteI agree with you on this. NYC is a place people always want to visit or excel in their dreams with the hope to make it in the world between life and work, but behind all the light their is the darkness of the homeless people that struggle just to get by each day.
DeleteWords are important because they hold different meanings and feelings to different people. Words have the power to make us feel emotions like happy or sad. Some are more important to different people than others, depending on our history with them. Words hold the power to save or destroy lives. Just by talking to someone you can make someone’s day. Words are how we communicate and survive. A video like this, with just words, is just as powerful if not more as one without. It influences me to think differently about the homeless in the city, and how they all have stories. It is because of the words used in this video that I have realized this.
ReplyDeleteI agree, that different people interpret words in different ways based on their history or past experiences. I also agree with how powerful the use of words and the method this video used to convey a message on the homeless in New York City.
DeleteI agree with your statement. One single word can be explained in a thousand different ways and have a huge impact on someone.
DeleteUsing the word "survive" in how words can impact use is very powerful and really helps illustrate how powerful words can really be.
DeleteA video such as this influence a person's thinking by targeting their emotions. Certain words and phrases can hook into people's minds and make them think in certain ways. Some words are more powerful than others, one’s with certain cultural and personal significance can help make an idea more engraved in someone’s mind.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I think that some words can be way more powerful than others to different people.
DeleteReading the words on the screen as they pass delivers a more powerful message than someone just saying them. Seeing the pictures of the words all flowing together with the powerful visuals of people less fortunate makes the message even stronger. I do find that at times it got a little challenging and confusing to follow along because of the pace and the way the words were formed with the signs. I think the word ‘united’ is very powerful. It often is used to explain when multiple people are one or work together as one. It can be used as a sense of power and to express that you feel powerful because of being united with people. ‘Hope’ is also a very powerful word, it can be interpreted in many different ways. People use it to express that they are going to continue pushing forward and not giving up. The context of a word is just as important as the word itself, often giving it a different meaning.
ReplyDeleteI think you are correct by saying that having the words shown to us without someone saying them verbally makes this a heavier video to watch. Especially the slowed down tempo of the music, which is elongated for the effect of leaving our minds really thinking about the words and images we saw throughout the video.
DeleteI agree, I think that the use of the words conveys a more powerful message. These words may not be significant to one person but to another can have a completely different impact.
DeleteI agree with the fact that you said how pictures deliver a more powerful message than someone just saying them. Also how the context of a word can have so many different means to different people due t there experiences that they go through in life.
DeleteThis video makes me wonder how many words people see in a day, especially around their community or cities and how they are taken for granted yet once all put together they can represent larger ideas. The video itself holds huge significance which is somewhat due to the words that are used such as empathy or family which all can be connotatively important to many people around the world but are especially used to show what people who live on streets are missing. The main message of this video is to derive from the seemingly admirable life in New York City, or any highly populated city, and really grind down to what daily life really looks like for some people which includes representations of homlessness and poverty.
ReplyDeleteYour response really made me think about the words we see in a day, I found it very insightful. I also agree, that from the outside the life of a New Yorker can seem wonderful but there are exceptions that people have to deal with.
DeleteYour response helped me think about how I see words and what they mean to me. I agree that the main message is to show the seeming admirable life in New York City in a perspective of a New Yorker.
DeleteSeeing the words flash through the screen gives more meaning to them then hearing them. Seeing the flashing words mixed with the emotional music showed a strong message of poverty. The video conveys a meaning to the watcher and makes them understand whats going on. I liked how the video used the music mixed with the words to give the words a stronger meaning. Every word has a meaning, some stronger than others. But, in this video all of these words together represent awareness for people less fortunate.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Megan. The words and emotional music really helped to display this powerful message and also helped to make the message more clear and meaningful.
DeleteI agree with your statement. The way this video displayed the words helped convey an even deeper message than just hearing or seeing the words on paper.
DeleteWords have such a significant power and influence on everyone in this world, no matter who you are. This video made me reflect on just how powerful every word can be and just how much you can impact someone's life through words. You never know what someone is going through in their life, or just in that day, saying one kind thing to this person can completely change their mindset and make them that much happier.
ReplyDeleteThis video also made me think of the less fortunate people in our world, and helped me to reflect on just how lucky we all are to have everything we have, whether we realize it or not. Famous places, like New York City, have such a glorified image in most people's minds, however, what some people forget the most is the poverty and the homelessness that is present in the city. It is very important that we remember to always be kind and watch our words and help people to the best of our ability. Sometimes to make someone's day, you don't need to sacrifice any of your belongings, or give away any of your money, sometimes all it takes is a few kind words to make someone happy.
I felt this too. Thinking of the less fortunate people in our world really makes you grateful for what we have. I also agree that this video really makes me realize that words can impact a persons day just as much, or even more then giving away belongings.
DeleteWords do indeed have a significant power and influence on individuals. I too reflected upon the power of words and the impact they can have on different people. The simple, straightforward style of the video only allowed it to be more thought-provoking and meaningful as it really makes one want to become a better, kinder person who possesses empathy and is aware of and helpful to those less fortunate than them.
DeleteThis video only uses words going across the screen to deliver a very important, powerful message to its viewers. I feel that having only words and calming background music is enough to spread a big message. Helping others who are less fortunate can mean many different things including, just having a conversation with them. In the video, it explains that every single person has a story, so instead of looking away, listen. This video also explains how these places are so glorified from an outside perspective. When you really start to dig deeper you’ll realize how many people are in need and how these places aren’t always what they seem. Overall, this video has a very unique way of spreading a very powerful message with only the use of words.
ReplyDeleteI agree that just background music with words created a very important message, that it didn't need to be a big extravagant thing but a simple one.
DeleteThe video shows how words are displayed everywhere around us and how they can affect our lives. Some words have more power than others they get that power because we give those words meaning. When a stop sign is present we choose to abide by what it says because that is our choice. We give that sign its power words without that power given to words they are meaningless. We give meaning to words.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that we give words the power and they way each person views a word is the reason why words are meaningful to certain people while others may not have that same effect.
DeleteThis video led me to realize how important words can be and how they can change someone’s life who may be going through a tough time. I don’t think words are necessarily powerful on their own, it depends on who is speaking and the position both people are in. If someone were depressed or upset, just saying, “Goodmorning!” may cheer them up and lead to a difference in their life because it could show that people are there for them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, simple words can make someones day so much better and impact peoples lives without the person who said it even realizing it.
DeleteI agree with you, people need to realize that words can change the emotions of people.
DeleteThe video shows how people don't think about problems that other people suffer until we see those that need help or the problem itself. It shows how the world suggests that everything is alright, throughout the city their are words that suggest everyone is looking out for each other and the city cares about but it's clearly shown that people just walk by a homeless person without a thought about their story. Many of them don't choose to be homeless but rather have gone through difficult times that unfortunately resulted in them being homeless.
ReplyDeleteYour response really made me think about how no one stopped to help the homeless people and how they showed the word empathy.
DeleteThe words that are seen the most throughout is the word “love.” The word love in this video is more so shown throughout hearts than the word itself. The director of the video says how he among many other people would walk away from or don't look at homeless people. But those people who can’t bring themselves to look at the people, they don’t know what caused those people to live on the streets. Some people went into medical debt and couldn’t pay it off leaving them to have nowhere else to go. The director ends the video where he goes and he “sees” the homeless person instead of looking away. He approached the homeless person and talks to him. Like he was seeing him for the first time. He wanted to learn his story, what he had gone through.
ReplyDeleteYour point about the use of the hearts to symbolize the word love is something that I also noticed. It's interesting how much more often that was used instead of the actual word.
Delete𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn’t, really. I’ve read more powerful literature and listened to more powerful speeches. The sentiment isn’t original; in fact, it makes a point out of not being original, what with it being composed of signs and storefronts. This does, however, tie into my next response:
𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴?
No. Words do not have intrinsic power or intrinsic meaning. They are nothing more than a collection of strokes on paper or pixels on a screen. Language survives not as an instution, and not within words, but as a creature of its own, unconsciously directed and supported by those who use it. It is only within how a word is used that it gains meaning; and it is only the interpreter of the word that gives it power.
The creators of this video chose to use a mixture of videography made up of short clips and instrumental music to bring their message to life. The video opens up explaining the common reputation of two of the most loved cities- NYC and Sidney. Through the course of the short three and a half minute long video, we are taken on a written journey of how wrong the previously reputation of the cities are. It explains through thoughtfully planned timing and repetition that for impoverished people, that reputation does not exist. They are discriminated against and ignored to no end. This message calls for the viewers to change this. For us to be kinder and more compassionate towards everyone, not just those who are as fortunate as us.
ReplyDeleteThe choice of words you used in your statement were very influential. "On a written journey" really makes your words come to life.
DeleteThis video influences my thinking by showing me that words are all around me and that they can be pieced together. It also has questions that talking about if people like the cities for the people there or just the place itself. Yes certain words have more power than others but it depends on the person. For example, the word love has a lot more power than the word mirror. But maybe to another person the word love doesn't have a lot of meaning towards them.
ReplyDeleteThis response made me think about the effect a life experience may influence the way people view a word and this is why every person views words with their own "meaning" while others have their own meaning of that same word.
DeleteIt shows you the harsh reality of the world and how words have the power to make someone’s day better. It conveyed how words can be used to express feelings and emotions. There are some words that have more power than others. For example, ‘love’ has more power than ‘the.’ Love has the power to affect someone’s emotions while ‘the’ does not have the same effect.
ReplyDeleteWords are viewed as a strange invention of communication in our regular daily existence. Words are very powerful, and have the ability to illuminate, impact, educate and engage others. All words have meaning and come from somewhere. Words allow us to express ourselves, our musings and our sentiments. Words can affect someone's emotions as well as their mood. They can motivate, inspire, and encourage someone. They can evoke certain feelings including joy, anger, sadness, love, jealousy, and happiness. Words can elicit inner and external emotions through various methods of communication. Their forces can be communicated successfully through stories, sonnets, papers, works of art, etc. The impact words have on different people can vary because it depends on the understanding someone has of those words and the manner they perceive them. Words are a crucial ornament of survival in today’s society and are irreplaceable in our lives.
I agree with your points. Words are a vital part of society because of the great effect they have on our daily lives.
DeleteThank you dear students of Putnam Valley high school for your lovely postings. So good to hear your individual voices and astute perspectives. :)
ReplyDeleteWords hold great power and can influence the way people live in drastically. Words are essentially a sound but allow us to communicate with others. Anyone has to power to say something negative or positive. A word that has no meaning to us, doesn’t have any control over us but the significance of other words have the ability to evoke different emotions in us.
ReplyDeleteThe video conveys the idea that we see these words everywhere and also desensitize the power of what the word means. Certain words we take for granted are the things we have around us such as food. New York City is seen as this beautiful city but what people don't see is that within this city there are people who have different stories. Many people are suffering in the streets on NYC and this video brings awareness to this issue.
I agree with this because New York City is always glorified and portrayed as an amazing place, but many people might not realize how many people live there that are in need.
DeleteElissa, your response was very thought-provoking. I found it very interesting how you said that these words are all over the place, and due to that, we are somewhat "desensitized" to those words. But through the use of this video, the filmmakers were able to convey a reminder that yes, in fact, there are people that struggle, even in a place that looks so wonderful from the outside.
DeleteShows me how by just the use of words can express a whole world of ideas and issues occurring. The use of words in the video were both inspiring and interesting because each word meant something and was used in a certain way to emphasize what was being conveyed.
ReplyDeleteThis video creates more awareness of the daily words we use, how we use them and with what intention we say them. Watching this video makes care more about how I express myself because it is unknown how other people may interpret them. Words have a different effect on each person depending on the circumstances, maybe because of past experiences or moments that relate to a specific word.
ReplyDeleteWords by themselves can sometimes convey a more powerful meaning than the ones standing beside others, or as in this case, the words being read with a musical background can dramatically change the sphere in how the meaning touches internally in our thoughts. I believe that the importance of a word is assigned personally and that there is no right answer to which is the most important word.
This video expressed many different ideas in a very impactful way. For example, many people who live in New York generally view New York City as a wonderful place full of opportunity. However, when looking even deeper into New York City we find out to question our thoughts. This video focuses on the view of the unprivileged people in New York City. The video uses the words empathy, hunger, and hope to display a feeling of despair. These words help greatly to convey the intended emotions of the video, as they are very impactful. It is amazing how a singular word can have such an impact on someone. Just a few of letters put together to form a sound can change a whole persons point of view or lead someone's life into a different direction. I feel like the video did an outstanding job displaying the words, as it was shown that these are words that we see on a daily basis. We are surrounded by all these influential words every day, without even realizing it. I believe that if the words were written on paper or said allowed, it wouldn't have exhibited a stronger emotion than the way the video portrayed it. I also believe that the instrumental aspect helped grab the viewers attention, as is set the tone for the video and further emphasized the emotions that were displayed. This was overall a very powerful video, as an extremely strong message was conveyed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with how you mentioned that the word choice used in this video allows the viewer to have a certain emotional connection to the word and its meaning.
DeleteThis video effects my thinking about the power of words by the powerful and intense word choices used in it. It brings up topics of family, and the concept of the world. It gives a perspective of the world of how it isn’t such a great place and how not everything is perfect. Many times people go through their daily lives taking many things for granted, not realizing, those who are suffering and crying out for help right in front of their eyes. By taking clips of words from a familiar place to me such as New York City, it opens my eyes to how things aren’t just handed to people. One person’s dream life could be another person’s nightmare. In language, there are many words that can have a greater impact on people’s emotions opposed to some words that mean the same thing. For instance the words “big” and “catastrophic.” Both have the same meaning of something large, however one sounds more intense, almost as if this large thing was massive. Thus, the word selections used in language can determine how intense a person’s emotions are toward what they are reading.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Different choices of words can definitely change the intensity of the meaning or emotion that the word evokes. The words that the director of the video chose are used to portray how when some people are successful, others are in need or suffering.
DeleteI love how you brought up that although words can be synonyms and have very similar denotations, the connotations of those words and what emotions they evoke separate them apart.
DeleteThis video was very powerful. This video influences my thinking because words that we see every day can have a different meaning when they are put together in a video like that. For example, the context that the words were in alters the meaning. Words have the ability to hold a great power that sometimes we can take for granted. There are certain words that can mean more than others and evoke different emotions. If two words mean the same thing, one word can still be significantly more powerful than another. For example, the words "big" and tremendous" mean the same thing but "tremendous" is more powerful or intense. Additionally, the images that were used in the video sheds light on an important issue. It shows many of the unprivileged people or people who are suffering in New York City. people always think of the city as an amazing place full of life and opportunities, but they don't realize that there are many people suffering. This video was moving because it brought awareness to that issue.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very insightful response Emma. Your response really made me think about how we view cities like NYC and gave me a better understanding of the perspectives of the less fortunate.
DeleteI agree, different words hold power more then others. This video brought awareness too that.
DeleteVideos like these that highlight faults in society can influence our thinking about the meanings of different words.They provide a deeper understanding of different perspectives within our community. For example, some think so highly of majors cities, such as NYC. However, this video gives us the perspective of the less fortunate and under valued. Due to this video and the power behind the words used, I now feel a great empathy and sadness for the under privileged within our society.
ReplyDeleteAs well, words can have great meaning and power because they can induce a myriad of emotions and can influence individual relationships and sense of togetherness. However, some words can have more of an impact than others. Certain words have more emphasis on eliciting a certain emotion. Additionally, some powerful words have great cultural and social significance which could heighten their ability to influence individuals and societies.
I like how you mentioned that groups of people who go through different experiences can gain a deeper understanding of each other through the power of words despite not experiencing it themselves.
DeleteThis video doesn't really influence my thinking, but rather reinforce and remind me that word choice and sentence composition has power, no matter how minute the word seems. I think some words have more power than others, but determining how influential one word is over another is subjective. What one person considers an influential word, another can perceive it as insignificant, simply because of their personal experience and perspective on the world.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of words having different weight to different people is a good one considering we all have had different experiences in life and as a result varying conscious and subconscious perspectives/opinions.
DeleteThis video influences my thinking when relating to words and their power, by piecing together separate words from separate thoughts, and combining them to make a very powerful statement. This is with the message of unity relating to the title as we are connected as mankind unlike islands. Thus, showing the weight of the words from completely different places with different context coming together for one singular powerful thought. Some words in the message have more weight like key words like hope, love, donation, etc. that have strong emotional connection to us so they carry more power.
ReplyDeleteI like how you touched on how different words from different places all come together to form one message. It really does go along with the title showing that things separated by either a large or small distance can share the same message and story.
DeleteThis video influenced my thinking on the power of words on how words can make a significant impact on a person's life. Watching this video helped me understand how words are expressed in a variety of ways. Through the sound of music, symbolism through objects, and even body language. I feel like the creator of this video wanted to portray the idea of how something might appear attractive on the outside. But might appear unpleasant from the inside. The creator of the video described this message through New York City. They showed how this place has wealth and has such a high class. But really, people don't see the reality of how there are people in need in the world. And how this life isn't always perfect. Another way that the creators made the person understand the message they were trying to portray was through the background music playing in the video. Along with the video, it told the story behind all the clips taken. It made you feel what the creators were trying to express and how reality is in this world. To me, the words that had more ability than others were "today" and "always." I feel like these two words have their unique meanings because the word "today" is interpreted as only in the present day, but the word "always" means at all times. I chose these two words because, in the video, it said, "I walk by you today." And the other clip said, "I always look away."
ReplyDeleteI like how you highlighted that people don't always realize that there are so many people in need in this world and that something needs to be done to help them. Like you said, life isn't perfect.
DeleteThis video influenced my thinking with the power of words themselves. How words are used affects not only the meaning of the word, but what it means to everyone that reads it. The title of the video shows that mankind isn't isolated. People are never alone and are always there for others. For one, a word can be very influential and meaningful and for another it can be meaningless. People also can both view a certain word as influential, but influential in different ways.
ReplyDeleteI agree with how you talked about the title of the video, as this is one of the key factors to this video, allowing the audience to get a feel for what the video contains. And I also liked how you talked about words having different responses from people, as words can be perceived differently by others.
DeleteI like the way you highlighted that mankind is not isolated and that words have different influences on different people. A person's own definition of influential affects how they perceive words and phrases.
DeleteI strongly agree with your opinion and your outlook, and the fact that you said that mankind isn't isolated. Everyone's word choices affect people in many different ways and the way people express themselves has a big impact.
DeleteI agree about how meanings of words are affected by multiple aspects of the situation. I also agree that some words can be meaningless especially if you don't give them meaning.
DeleteI feel the meaning of words can change on our mood and situation in life.
This video allows both images with words that have emotional connotations and instrumental somber music to bring a message to their audience. The beginning of the video starts off with a gloomy instrumental piece which allows the audience to become aware that this is not an ordinary video about two great cities, but of two cities filled with sorrows. The words in this video have many connotative meanings to each and every one of us from “love” to “away”. If we had just read the title alone “Mankind is no Island”, this makes you think that life isn’t some perfect fairy tale that we live on our own without helping others. Words seem to pop out to me, and express different meanings in these type of videos. Since we can put a picture to the words with videos like these. When we see the word love, but then we see a homeless man, is this what love is supposed to be (is what we think to ourselves). There are many words that have more power than others but it’s how they are depicted and said that really increases the power they have.
ReplyDeleteJoanna, I think that this is a very insightful response, and I liked how thoughtful you were with this response. I also agree with you on how I perceive words to mean different things to different people, and there are certainly words that affect me differently than others, as I'm sure is the same for many others.
DeleteI agree with your response, Joanna. Without the use of the music, I definitely feel that the video may not have been as powerful or moving as it was with the use of that specific track. I also think that the shift from the word "love" to a clip of a homeless person, really increased the power of either clip, on it's own. The two clips together really made me think more thoughtfully about how humans show love when it comes to people that are less-powerful.
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ReplyDeleteThe use of the music and transitions between the words almost gives the effect of the video being a song especially when the words change along with the beats of the music. The use of the music helped to connect these disparate parts from unrelated word into a story. This way to convey a message uses the opportunity to talk about the homelessness issue in these cities. The video also shows the power of the words we see around us. Throughout the video, there were signs with hearts or images of hearts used to symbolize the word "love"
I like the way you described the video as songlike. The video has a musical flow to it that connects the individual words to their story and unifies them, further pushing the title, “Mankind is no Island.”
DeleteLike Liana mentioned, I really liked how you correlated the film with the music. Many people focus on the message and actual words on the screen, than the background music. Collaboratively those two parts form a songlike rhythm that emphasizes the message of the video to a further extent.
DeleteThis video really opens the eye to how much power words have, highlighting homelessness using words on the streets of New York City and Sydney. Individual words from different sources coming together to create a unified message shows the influence one word can have on a group of people. This strong influence brings a voice to those that find themselves silenced and wish to change what is not right. The title of the video, “Mankind is no Island” encapsulates the message perfectly. Mankind is not isolated, but united, and it’s time to act as such. The video made me think about how so many people ignore problems that do not personally affect them. In just these two cities there’s an overwhelming amount of people living on the streets and it’s imperative that we assist those who need our help. I found that using positive words like “hope” and “love” to further emphasize the more serious issue at hand brings another layer to the video, making the issue more personal. I found the video as a whole to be very powerful and influential, shedding light on the homelessness epidemic.
ReplyDeleteI think your response is very insightful and thoughtful. I agree with you completely on the idea that people ignore problems that do not affect them personally. That phrase alone summarizes the entire sequence of film.
DeleteI understand and fully agree with your viewpoint. With global issues such as these, it seems that those who aren't immediately affected tend to overlook problems such as these. However, it is truly up to us to stand up and assist those in need to help these problems.
DeleteThis video has influenced my thinking in many ways, I am way more open minded now because originally when I would see the streets in New York City I would be almost oblivious to the fact that homelessness is so severe. After watching the video I am now more aware and concerned, there are so many things people living in and out of the city can do to try and help. In the video you can see the homeless people walking around and the people walking in the city walk around them or ignore them as if they're not even there. People always want to change the world and to have a positive outlook on things but they won't address the growing problem, that the number of homeless people are growing everyday. This video addresses this growing problem but instead of guilting people and yelling at them, they use positive words throughout the video to address the problem and it is very effective. Anyone watching the video is able to take a step outside of their body and look at the bigger picture. This video has changed the way I look at the world and I am able to to dig deeper to see the bigger picture, it has changed me in a very good way.
ReplyDeleteI like the way they pushed that this video was shot entirely on an iphone. It sends a very powerful message. They did not need to make a big production, with a professional film team, to get across a huge message. They used a minimal amount of resources and still produced an amazing video. They were able to connect 2 cities that have not stopped evolving, on opposite sides of the world. It was also cool how they made phrases out of the signs. The use of the music in the background was very well thought out and powerful for this film. Its strong tempo brought brought out the seriousness and truly moving tones in thus video.
ReplyDeleteI think that the video had a great amount of power, and influence. The video really influenced my view on the power of words and how it made me more open minded. This video addressed the growing problem, and the growing population of homeless people and that it didn't need a whole big production crew to make that happen, all it took was an iPhone and a good film team to produce something so inspiring. I think that using words on posters and billboards and roads throughout New York and Sydney really shows a collaboration of music and words to create a story. People think of New York as such a stereotypical city of being a wonderful place and they don't really know the depths of the ongoing problems in it, so the making of this video definitely spreads a sort of awareness to people. The title of this being "Mankind is no island" really shows that in order to make changes people need to not be isolated but united. Just seeing the amount of homeless people in the streets between these two cities is heart breaking and really opens and eye to this ongoing epidemic.
ReplyDeleteWords impact the way people view and feel about the world. In the video it shows the perspective of words in a harsh environment and how we take them for granted everyday. The way the video is shot by an iphone and how each word has powerful meanings evoke feelings. Each word has a purpose and conveys the message of the story.
ReplyDeleteThe film holds a significant amount of value and influence. Especially, since it is not a huge production with paid cinematographers and an entire crew. It is instead a message that was conveyed from a group of individuals trying to make a change. They were able to connect two cities from opposite sides of the world under one global issue. The unfortunate stigmas against the homeless are very well known, especially in cities such as New York City and Sydney. Many stereotype them under categories of drug addicts, laziness, etc. Like the title states, “Mankind is no Island”, people should not be isolate themselves from one another, however, instead be united. Society as a whole should not evade and ignore problems that do not affect them directly or personally. Instead people should assist others that are in these truly horrible conditions, to help them build a better future.
ReplyDeleteThe film itself used many techniques and show the power of words. By using the music in the background, the filmmakers were able to create greater emphasis on powerful words. They used prolonged beats for some words, like “love”, and the tone of the music overall was calm, which created a soothing effect on the viewer as well.
I like the perspective you took on not only the message of the video, but how that message was produced. This production truly shows that people are able to speak out on a subject and share a message with others even without a large budget that some companies or other organizations may have. All it requires is effort and determination to get your point across to others to be able to convey an idea.
DeleteAlthough this film was a simple collection of cell phone photos of signs in the cities of Sydney and New York City, it was a very influential video. It was a very powerful reminder of the importance of the words we choose to use, or lack thereof. Words are very powerful and can really have a positive impact on someone, especially to someone who feels left out, in this video the homeless population. It is an easy thing to do, to look away, pretend that there isn't someone begging, someone poor, someone at rock-bottom, someone that is hopeless. But, this video poses a question, What if… that wasn't the case? What if our society would unite? What if we would help those in need? What if we would spread kindness to all? What if we would say the simple word, hello? What if we would ask the simple question, how are you? What if we would just smile? Overall, I think that the filmmakers did a phenomenal job conveying the importance of reaching out into society, and spreading kindness through words. Words in this video were demonstrated to be very important, being that words in themselves, were what conveyed this overall message to viewers.
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting to see how the video was put together paired with the topic of the video. Using a video with no audio truly emphasizes the fact that the homeless don’t seem to have a voice in a world where they are commonly overlooked as an annoyance or inconvenience. It is very eye-opening to see how even on opposite sides of the Earth and in completely different cities, these people suffer through the same fate and difficulties. They are given few, if any, chances and are often looked down upon for their mere existence in these cities. Little empathy or care is given to these unfortunate individuals who are just trying to survive on the few resources they are given. The video highlights the hardships that the homeless of various cities are forced to endure, even beyond money and physical wealth. Things such as family turning a blind eye to one’s condition and being looked down upon by people and society can deeply affect one’s mental state and their ability to pull themselves out of their tough situation. This video is a powerful way to get people to sympathize and assist the homeless. Having a piece of media that you can easily share with others can help bring attention to widespread, but overlooked issues such as these. Overall, Mankind Is No Island is a critical and important way to spread the word regarding issues with homelessness within cities.
ReplyDeleteI liked how the message in the video was told through street signs from both NY and Sydney, showing similarity between two cities on different sides of the world. I also liked how it was encouraging people to donate by recognizing the homeless, and that it’s sole message was not about donating but about being respectful and acknowledging homeless people as people who deserve better, that their economic status does not define their worth. I liked how the two cities were linked and the similarities between the two were highlighted, that no matter the place the people are the same and the way they act is slightly different, their cultures change the way they act but as humans they all have a similarity in their actions. I also liked how even though the cities were across the world from each other, they had the same signs (the highlighted similarity), as stated before the cities are the same yet different, at a basic view of the street signs they are the same, but it is the people who connect and differentiate the two cities.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really liked about the video was how it was not a high budget production. The video was an overall collection of pictures taken on a phone with a very low camera quality. The editing wasn't anything extravagant but it goes perfectly with the overall message of the video. I also found that the music and the edits were put together really well. Each separate word had its own beat and the camera would sometimes zoom in onto the word if there was to be a second beat. This helped with the flow of the video because as you would be reading the words you would fall into a sort of rhythm with the beat.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I believe that the low quality of the video further proves the point that words have power, no matter how they are presented to the audience, and when coupled with music they can have even more meaning, simply because the music can add emphasis to each word and its meaning.
DeleteI enjoyed watching this video because it shoes that when words, any words, are put together in such an eloquent way, they can have the power to move people. I think that words are oftentimes overlooked, and underestimated because we use them every day to communicate, and there is no reason to think twice about them. But this video shows us that words can have lots of power, and the soft piano music in the background contributes as well. It gives the words their own beat and the words fall in line with the music which emphasizes each word and the meaning of it in context of the sentence the creator is trying to form.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed watching the video it conveyed a powerful message about how two cities, New York and Sydney, Australia have many similarities even though they are separated by an ocean. The core message was to realize that the homeless should have better lives and no one deserves what they have. Different words mean more than others but its the context that defines how much the words mean. This video is proof of that because the context of the words is different in the video than it is to the sign it is a part of.
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