By Claire Jenkins
According to Psychology Today, “If the eyes are the window to the soul, then words are the gateway to the mind.” The words people choose to define things often reveal a lot about the person. When we think, we only think in verbs and nouns (Psychology Today). Other words such as adjectives and adverbs are added in when we form our thoughts into spoken words. The words others use when speaking or writing provide a way to observe the characteristics and the emotions of these individuals.
A while back I listed off words to a select pool of Palm Valley students and recorded their first-word reactions. Then, I came back and listed the same words to the same people, but this time they had a chance to think about their responses, and the word they felt fit the best was recorded. Here are their reflected-upon responses:
Female
transformative, complex, lips, human, children, woman, rights, Iron Man (think about it: the sign for iron is Fe)
Male
surprising, tiring, leaves, human, female, man, blue, mailman
Smart
overrated, determination, you, understanding, well-informed, brain, books, wise
Dumb
disregarded, growth, me, speaking, stupid, brick, mud, silent
Future
complicated, far, blue, bleak, work, time-machine, gifts, Star Wars
Past
dependent, ignorance, unsuccessful, civilization, history, dinosaur, emptiness, history
Present
confusing, wasted, Claire, existence, now, Santa, thoughts, 2018
Alone
peace, rest, white, sensitive, pondering, corner, pillow, wilderness
Community
bond, love, people, people, family, homes, garden, civilization
What would psychologists say about these eight people? What do you say?
Editor: Brennan Nick
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