Two ears and a mouth

Often, during my time in foreign places, such as Thailand or Kenya, I see the phenomena of what I call “amplification.” Let me explain. For example, when you are in a restaurant trying to ask where the bathroom is but instead, the waiter thinks you are asking for water. As you two are conversing (or at least trying to), the other person starts to speak a bit louder. Then you start to speak louder. Then the waiter starts to speak even louder. Before you know it, you are yelling at each other and everybody in the restaurant is looking at you. It is quite interesting to see that we as individuals seems to think that yelling would facilitate better understanding. That is what I call amplification.

This phenomenon of amplification is so common, whether you are abroad or at home. Scenes of it are in restaurants, government offices, workplaces, hospitals and the list goes on. Working in one of the major hospital in the city, it is common to see this phenomenon. The doctor starts to interview an immigrant patient with a poor grasp of English, trying to get a health history. Before you know it, both the hospital employee and the patient are speaking at the tops of their voices. Both lose in the end. The doctor cannot do his job and the patient cannot voice his or her concern.

Amplification is fuelled by two things: frustration and loses in translation. A person starts to speak louder and louder to get a point across. Imagine a refugee mother, who brings her child who just had a seizure. Imagine if she does not know how to tell the doctor that her child had a history of seizures. Without knowing this, the doctor dismisses it as simply a febrile seizure. Imagine if the mother is not able to say what her child’s allergies are or that she has to go home soon because her other children at home. Inability to express concerns and fears brings about frustration.

Being lost in translation is also a culprit of amplification. It is beyond being unable to find the translation. It is also finding the right word for the circumstance. For example, when I have a patient who reports dizziness, I always differentiate between sensation of fainting and sensation of spinning room, because each implies different causes. One can be postural hypotension and the other vertigo.

Alas, words lead to actions. Misrepresented words lead to misrepresented actions. Amplification happens between individuals, groups, communities and nations. A teenager talking back to his or her parent, out of desire to be heard, can be translated by the parent as disrespect. Before you know it, you have a teenager running away from home. A doctor’s attempt to be objective and professional towards a patient might lead to the impression that the doctor is distant and cold. One cultural group might see the other cultural group as a rival, leading to further sniping between each other. Gangs feel threatened by other gangs because somebody is in their turf of drug trade. Before you know it, the headline in the newspaper says “Two dead in gang shootout”.

It has often been said that man is given two ears and only one mouth for a good reason – one ear to listen to another person and another ear to listen to yourself. A lot of times, once a word leaves our mouth, we fail to listen and realize what we just said. We also fail listen to the other person. Such are the challenges of a human being. Luckily, we also have that big brain of ours.

Raphael is a member of ANAK. He graduated in 2009 from The University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine and is currently completing his residency in Winnipeg. Contact the author at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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