“So, you see, translators do not so much deliver a message as the rewrite the original. And herein lies the difficulty - rewriting is still writing, and writing always reflects the authors ideology and biases.”
— R.F. Kuang
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We never truly see the world as it is—only as we are. 🖋️ R.F. Kuang beautifully captures this through the lens of language: “So, you see, translators do not so much deliver a message as they rewrite the original. And herein lies the difficulty - rewriting is still writing, and writing always reflects the author's ideology and biases.” How has a change in your perspective shifted your understanding of a situation lately? Share your thoughts below! 👇
About this quote
We often believe that we see the world exactly as it is, but in reality, we are all constant translators. Every experience we have, every conversation we hold, and every memory we cherish is filtered through the unique lens of our own history, emotions, and biases. Just as a translator breathes their own soul into a text, we 'rewrite' the events of our lives to make sense of the chaos, shaping our personal truths through the colors of our own perspectives. This realization is not a call to doubt reality, but an invitation to live with greater empathy and humility. When we acknowledge that our version of the truth is a 'rewrite' shaped by our own internal ideology, we become more open to the stories of others. It reminds us that everyone is navigating their own complex translation of existence. Embrace your unique lens, but stay curious enough to realize that there is always a deeper, unwritten layer to the world around you.
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Photo by Ravi Kant on Pexels
