[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:01.08,0:00:04.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Today I want to talk\Nabout the meaning of words,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:04.60,0:00:05.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,how we define them
Dialogue: 0,0:00:05.92,0:00:08.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and how they, almost as revenge,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:08.20,0:00:09.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,define us.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.48,0:00:12.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The English language\Nis a magnificent sponge.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:12.56,0:00:15.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I love the English language.\NI'm glad that I speak it.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.24,0:00:17.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But for all that, it has a lot of holes.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.48,0:00:20.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In Greek, there's a word, "lachesism"
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.84,0:00:24.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is the hunger for disaster.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.72,0:00:28.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know, when you see\Na thunderstorm on the horizon
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.32,0:00:30.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you just find yourself\Nrooting for the storm.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.08,0:00:34.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In Mandarin, they have a word "yù yī" --
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.04,0:00:36.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm not pronouncing that correctly --
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.08,0:00:39.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which means the longing\Nto feel intensely again
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.80,0:00:41.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the way you did when you were a kid.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.68,0:00:46.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In Polish, they have a word "jouska"
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.84,0:00:50.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is the kind of\Nhypothetical conversation
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.40,0:00:52.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that you compulsively\Nplay out in your head.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.40,0:00:57.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And finally, in German,\Nof course in German,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.56,0:01:00.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they have a word called "zielschmerz"
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.44,0:01:03.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is the dread\Nof getting what you want.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.88,0:01:07.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.00,0:01:09.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Finally fulfilling a lifelong dream.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.84,0:01:15.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm German myself,\Nso I know exactly what that feels like.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.12,0:01:17.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, I'm not sure\Nif I would use any of these words
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.76,0:01:19.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as I go about my day,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.44,0:01:21.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but I'm really glad they exist.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.60,0:01:25.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the only reason they exist\Nis because I made them up.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.36,0:01:28.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I am the author of "The Dictionary\Nof Obscure Sorrows,"
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.00,0:01:32.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which I've been writing\Nfor the last seven years.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.12,0:01:34.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the whole mission of the project
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.16,0:01:39.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is to find holes\Nin the language of emotion
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.36,0:01:40.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and try to fill them
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.60,0:01:44.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so that we have a way of talking\Nabout all those human peccadilloes
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.52,0:01:46.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and quirks of the human condition
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.96,0:01:50.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that we all feel\Nbut may not think to talk about
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.96,0:01:53.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because we don't have the words to do it.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:53.68,0:01:56.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And about halfway through this project,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.12,0:01:57.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I defined "sonder,"
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.76,0:02:01.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the idea that we all think of ourselves\Nas the main character
Dialogue: 0,0:02:01.16,0:02:03.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and everyone else is just extras.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.84,0:02:06.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But in reality,\Nwe're all the main character,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.56,0:02:09.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you yourself are an extra\Nin someone else's story.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.16,0:02:14.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so as soon as I published that,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.28,0:02:15.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I got a lot of response from people
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.00,0:02:20.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,saying, "Thank you for giving voice\Nto something I had felt all my life
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.64,0:02:23.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but there was no word for that."
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.68,0:02:25.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So it made them feel less alone.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.16,0:02:27.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's the power of words,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.88,0:02:31.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to make us feel less alone.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.40,0:02:34.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it was not long after that
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.16,0:02:35.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that I started to notice sonder
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.96,0:02:40.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,being used earnestly\Nin conversations online,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:40.28,0:02:43.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and not long after I actually noticed it,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.20,0:02:46.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I caught it next to me\Nin an actual conversation in person.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.72,0:02:49.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There is no stranger feeling\Nthan making up a word
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.20,0:02:53.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then seeing it\Ntake on a mind of its own.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.52,0:02:55.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I don't have a word\Nfor that yet, but I will.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.64,0:02:57.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.08,0:02:58.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm working on it.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.60,0:03:02.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I started to think\Nabout what makes words real,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.56,0:03:05.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because a lot of people ask me,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.08,0:03:07.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the most common thing\NI got from people is,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.44,0:03:10.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Well, are these words made up?\NI don't really understand."
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.72,0:03:12.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I didn't really know what to tell them
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.80,0:03:14.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because once sonder started to take off,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.76,0:03:17.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who am I to say what words\Nare real and what aren't.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.16,0:03:22.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so I sort of felt like Steve Jobs,\Nwho described his epiphany
Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.24,0:03:25.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as when he realized that most of us,\Nas we go through the day,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:25.72,0:03:28.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we just try to avoid\Nbouncing against the walls too much
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.76,0:03:31.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and just sort of get on with things.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:31.88,0:03:34.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But once you realize that people --
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.28,0:03:40.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that this world was built\Nby people no smarter than you,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:40.08,0:03:42.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then you can reach out\Nand touch those walls
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.20,0:03:43.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and even put your hand through them
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.92,0:03:46.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and realize that you have\Nthe power to change it.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.08,0:03:50.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And when people ask me,\N"Are these words real?"
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.76,0:03:52.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I had a variety of answers\Nthat I tried out.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:52.88,0:03:55.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some of them made sense.\NSome of them didn't.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:55.04,0:03:56.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But one of them I tried out was,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.64,0:04:00.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Well, a word is real\Nif you want it to be real."
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.20,0:04:04.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The way that this path is real\Nbecause people wanted it to be there.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.44,0:04:06.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.16,0:04:08.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It happens on college\Ncampuses all the time.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.28,0:04:09.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's called a "desire path."
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.64,0:04:10.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:04:10.68,0:04:13.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But then I decided,\Nwhat people are really asking
Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.04,0:04:15.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when they're asking if a word is real,\Nthey're really asking,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:15.96,0:04:20.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Well, how many brains\Nwill this give me access to?"
Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.08,0:04:23.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because I think that's\Na lot of how we look at language.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.84,0:04:26.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A word is essentially a key
Dialogue: 0,0:04:26.64,0:04:29.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that gets us into certain people's heads.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:29.64,0:04:32.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if it gets us into one brain,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:32.92,0:04:34.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's not really worth it,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:34.20,0:04:35.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,not really worth knowing.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:35.48,0:04:37.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Two brains, eh, it depends on who it is.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.96,0:04:40.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A million brains, OK, now we're talking.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:40.80,0:04:47.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so a real word is one that gets you\Naccess to as many brains as you can.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:47.28,0:04:50.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's what makes it worth knowing.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:50.56,0:04:54.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Incidentally, the realest word of all\Nby this measure is this.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:54.40,0:04:56.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[O.K.]
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.64,0:04:57.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's it.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:57.88,0:04:59.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The realest word we have.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:59.16,0:05:01.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That is the closest thing we have\Nto a master key.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:01.76,0:05:04.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's the most commonly\Nunderstood word in the world,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:04.36,0:05:05.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,no matter where you are.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:05.64,0:05:06.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The problem with that is,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:06.88,0:05:09.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,no one seems to know\Nwhat those two letters stand for.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:09.60,0:05:11.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:05:11.92,0:05:13.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Which is kind of weird, right?
Dialogue: 0,0:05:14.00,0:05:17.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I mean, it could be a misspelling\Nof "all correct," I guess,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.48,0:05:18.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or "old kinderhook."
Dialogue: 0,0:05:18.76,0:05:22.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,No one really seems to know,\Nbut the fact that it doesn't matter
Dialogue: 0,0:05:22.64,0:05:26.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,says something about\Nhow we add meaning to words.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:26.16,0:05:28.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The meaning is not\Nin the words themselves.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:29.92,0:05:32.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're the ones\Nthat pour ourselves into it.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:33.44,0:05:37.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I think, when we're all searching\Nfor meaning in our lives,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.04,0:05:39.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and searching for the meaning of life,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:39.92,0:05:43.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think words have\Nsomething to do with that.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:44.04,0:05:46.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I think if you're looking\Nfor the meaning of something,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:46.84,0:05:48.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the dictionary is a decent place to start.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:49.76,0:05:52.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It brings a sense of order
Dialogue: 0,0:05:52.16,0:05:53.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to a very chaotic universe.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:54.88,0:05:56.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Our view of things is so limited
Dialogue: 0,0:05:57.56,0:06:00.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that we have to come up\Nwith patterns and shorthands
Dialogue: 0,0:06:00.36,0:06:02.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and try to figure out\Na way to interpret it
Dialogue: 0,0:06:02.68,0:06:04.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and be able to get on with our day.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:05.24,0:06:08.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We need words to contain us,\Nto define ourselves.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:09.40,0:06:11.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think a lot of us feel boxed in
Dialogue: 0,0:06:12.32,0:06:13.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by how we use these words.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:13.92,0:06:16.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We forget that words are made up.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:16.28,0:06:18.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's not just my words.\NAll words are made up,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:19.28,0:06:20.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but not all of them mean something.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:21.88,0:06:25.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're all just sort of\Ntrapped in our own lexicons
Dialogue: 0,0:06:26.00,0:06:30.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that don't necessarily correlate\Nwith people who aren't already like us,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:30.76,0:06:35.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and so I think I feel us drifting apart\Na little more every year,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:35.40,0:06:37.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the more seriously we take words.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:39.88,0:06:42.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because remember, words are not real.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:43.60,0:06:45.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They don't have meaning. We do.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:46.48,0:06:49.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I'd like to leave you with a reading
Dialogue: 0,0:06:49.76,0:06:52.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from one of my favorite philosophers,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:52.40,0:06:54.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Bill Watterson, who created\N"Calvin and Hobbes."
Dialogue: 0,0:06:54.96,0:06:56.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He said,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:57.04,0:07:00.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Creating a life that reflects\Nyour values and satisfies your soul
Dialogue: 0,0:07:00.88,0:07:02.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is a rare achievement.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:02.56,0:07:05.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To invent your own life's meaning
Dialogue: 0,0:07:05.04,0:07:06.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is not easy,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.60,0:07:08.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but it is still allowed,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:08.44,0:07:10.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I think you'll be\Nhappier for the trouble."
Dialogue: 0,0:07:11.32,0:07:12.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:12.56,0:07:15.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)