Tag: Thoughts

Faces of Language: Understanding the Human and Animal “Face” Across Cultures | July 25 2025, 16:35

I read about a fly on my windowsill, it’s a predatory critter, and its face is described on Wikipedia. Just like that, face. It got me thinking, is the word “face” applicable to animals other than humans (let’s skip the discussion of whether the term animal applies to humans). On the same Wikipedia, but on the face page, the face is only human. Yet, it is written that in professional terminology (veterinary, ornithology, entomology) it is quite appropriate to speak of the “facial part of the head” of an animal. For example, ornithologists at Cornell University use the term “face” specifically in descriptions of owls. Well, fine, we have a face, others have a snout. And birds? A snout in feathers? A beak is something else entirely.

In English too, by the way, things are not so simple. Even a cube has faces. In other European languages, the boundary between a human “face” and an animal one is more or less clearly drawn. Italians use faccia only for humans and muso for animals; faccia for a cat or dog would be inappropriate and even offensive. In French, visage usually means “human face,” and for animals, it’s gueule, museau, tête, etc. In Polish, there’s twarz for people and pysk/morda for beasts; moreover, the word morda in relation to a person is a crude insult (and in Russian too, only adding nationality to it). In Scandinavian languages (“ansigt” in Danish, “ansikte” in Swedish) “face” is also almost always human.

There’s also the word “physiognomy.” Interestingly, it only later came to denote a face. Essentially, this word means “the study of facial features to determine character.” It consists of φύσις (physis) – “nature, essence, character” and γνώμων (gnomon) – “indicator, determining.”

And then I remembered the word “unflattering.” Strange word, right? How can a conversation be unflattering? Turns out, its definition is as follows: “not based on flattery, the desire to please someone; impartial, fair.” So formally, Vitsyn could exclaim, “long live the most unflattering court in the world!” I’m not joking, for example, Saltykov-Shchedrin writes: “At the present time, in all corners of Russia, even the most backward people are beginning to recognize the vital need for a lawful and unflattering court.” “I must confess, I was very nervous, handing my brainchild over to the unflattering judgment of the editorial staff” (D. N. Mamin-Sibiriyak, “Features from the Life of Pepko,” 1894).

Actually, an interesting word. In Russian, its only decent synonyms are snout, mug, phiz, physiognomy, dial, and very memorable indecent ones.

Understanding American Politics Through Washington’s Farewell Letter | July 23 2025, 23:33

To better understand American politics today, here’s a fact. Since 1862, the farewell letter of the first president and founding father George Washington is read annually before the opening session of the Senate.

Among other things, it includes the following (I’m paraphrasing in my own words because the oddly complex sentences, in which it’s hard to track what is being talked about, are the normal written language of that time. I hope I didn’t misrepresent):

* Foreign interference is one of the worst threats, and you must constantly be paranoid about it. However, be cautious to be fair and wise in this matter, otherwise, you will focus so much on one country that you will slide into alliances with others.

* Avoid permanent alliances and foreign policy commitments. Trade with everyone, but avoid permanent political and military alliances with other countries, especially European ones. This allows you to avoid being drawn into others’ wars and conflicts. We obviously must keep our promises, but let’s try not to make new ones in the future.

* Europe has a bunch of problems that mean nothing to us. So they will fight, and we must make sure we do not get involved on any side. We can make ourselves unpleasant enemies, which we do not need.

* Since we are here, across the Atlantic, we can mind our own business. And if we just hold together a little longer, we might become strong enough to stand up for ourselves. And if we are cool enough, other countries will not want to start anything, so the choice of starting a war or maintaining peace will be ours.

* Political parties are evil. Namely, the party system leads to infighting, distracts from real problems, weakens the government, and exposes the country to foreign influence, as other countries can manipulate one of the parties.

* It is impossible to build a successful state and trust people (e.g., their oaths) if there is no strong moral and religious foundation in society.

* Do not accumulate large state debts during peacetime. It is necessary to pay bills on time, and for this, taxes are necessary, which citizens should approach with understanding.

Stylish Contrasts in “Squid Game” Season 3: Script and Design Highlights | July 17 2025, 04:19

We finished the third season. They did a great job, but I really want to highlight two things — the script and the design. Probably one of the most stylish shows, and they managed to film the third season in such a way that it is simultaneously predictable in some aspects and full of completely unexpected twists in others.

Have you watched it? What did you think?

The Paradox of Symmetry: Beauty, Boredom, and the Brain | July 06 2025, 23:13

Probably not just for me a contradictory perception of symmetry exists. On one hand, symmetry is perceived as a sign of harmony and stability because the brain processes and recognizes organized forms more quickly, which historically could have aided survival. Logically, it should be associated with beauty, health, and predictability, giving a sense of security.

It’s written that with one or two alcoholic drinks, symmetrical objects become even more attractive. “In a pilot study (Elena Karakashevska) involving 13 social drinkers, researchers were surprised to find that alcohol apparently enhances the brain’s response to symmetry.” The study also concluded that people look better after consuming alcohol 🙂 This reminds me of a joke about two friends, when one says, “Now we’ll go to the girls, one is alright – for me, and the other one is a bit ugly, but you drink some vodka — and she will be fine,” and when they arrive, they ring the doorbell, two women are on the doorstep, and the second says: “Oh, I can’t drink that much!”

On the other hand, excessive symmetry and monotony can cause boredom and irritation as the brain seeks stimulation and novelty. For example, imagine a symmetrical tattoo on someone. Can you picture one that you aesthetically prefer over an asymmetrical one?

Personally, I like small deviations and asymmetry, which make images lively and interesting. A certain balance of order and chaos. Pure symmetry seems very boring to me.

Started googling on the topic. “Japanese don’t like symmetry. If a vase on the table is in the middle, they will automatically move it to the edge of the table. Why? Symmetry as completion, as finitude, as repetition is uninteresting. For instance, the dishes on a Japanese table (dinnerware) will definitely have different patterns, different colors.”

Do you like symmetry?