Fw:Article From NY Times
GABRIELLA MODAN
modan.1 at osu.edu
Mon Aug 7 15:09:05 UTC 2006
I had a problem opening these files, so here's the NYT link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/weekinreview/06cohen.html?_r=1&ref=weekinreview&oref=slogin
Galey Modan
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The Fine Art of Hiding What You Mean to Say - New York TimesThis was in =
today's Week in Review section of the New York Times. =20
*************************************************
It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary =
depends upon his not understanding it. -- Upton Sinclair
*************************************************
Ken Ehrensal
Associate Professor, Management Department
Kutztown Univ. of PA
ehrensal at kutztown.edu
http://faculty.kutztown.edu/ehrensal/
**************************************************
----- Original Message -----=20
=20
=20
=20
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-------
August 6, 2006
Iranian 101: A Lesson for Americans
The Fine Art of Hiding What You Mean to Say=20
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN
TEHRAN
IT is certainly unfair to accuse all Iranians of being liars. The label =
is judgmental and reeks of stereotype. The more appropriate way to =
phrase the Iranian view toward honesty, the way many Iranians themselves =
describe it, is to say that being direct and telling the truth are not =
prized principles in Iran.
Often, just the opposite is true. People are expected to give false =
praise and insincere promise. They are expected to tell you what you =
want to hear to avoid conflict, or to offer hope when there is none.=20
There is a social principle in Iran called taarof, a concept that =
describes the practice of insincerity - of inviting people to dinner =
when you don't really want their company, for example. Iranians =
understand such practices as manners and are not offended by them.
But taarof is just one aspect of a whole framework for communication =
that can put Iranian words in a completely different context from the =
one Americans are familiar with.
"You have to guess if people are sincere, you are never sure," said =
Nasser Hadian, a political science professor at the University of =
Tehran. "Symbolism and vagueness are inherent in our language."
This way of communicating is suddenly essential for Americans to =
understand. Increasingly, it appears that the road to peace, and war, =
runs through Tehran. And so hearing what Iranians are really saying, not =
what Americans think they are saying, has become a priority. Iran has =
outsized influence with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. It has profound =
influence with the newly empowered Shiites of Iraq. And it is locked in =
its own fight with the United Nations Security Council over its ambition =
to develop nuclear technology.
And yet, understanding each other - forget about agreeing - is =
complicated from the start.
"Speech has a different function than it does in the West," said Kian =
Tajbakhsh, a social scientist who lived for many years in England and =
the United States before returning to Iran a decade ago. "In the West, =
80 percent of language is denotative. In Iran 80 percent is =
connotative."
Translation: In the West, "yes" generally means yes. In Iran, "yes" can =
mean yes, but it often means maybe or no. In Iran, Dr. Tajbakhsh said, =
listeners are expected to understand that words don't necessarily mean =
exactly what they mean.=20
"This creates a rich, poetic linguistic culture," he said. "It creates a =
multidimensional culture where people are adept at picking up on =
nuances. On the other hand, it makes for bad political discourse. In =
political discourse people don't know what to trust."
It is not a crude ethnic joke or slur to talk about taarof, but a =
cultural reality that Iranians say stems from centuries under foreign =
occupation. Whether it was the Arabs, the Mongols or the French and the =
British, foreign hegemony taught Iranians the value of hiding their true =
face. The principle is also enshrined in the majority religion here, =
Shiite Islam, which in other lands is a minority religion, often at odds =
with the majority. There is a concept known as takiya in which Shiites =
are permitted, even encouraged, to hide their belief or faith to protect =
their life, honor or property.
"When you tell lies, it can save your life," said Muhammad Sanati, a =
social psychologist who lived for years in England before returning to =
Iran in 1982. "Then you can see the problem of language in this =
country."
Diplomacy everywhere is the art of not showing your hand, and if =
Iranians have shown skill at forcing negotiations over negotiations, or =
winning by stalling, it would be an overstatement to say that it can be =
explained solely by a culture of taarof. But Western diplomats based in =
Iran say that Iran's cultural foundation gives it a leg up when dealing =
with the more studied negotiating skills of the Americans.=20
Perhaps more important, such diplomats and Iranians themselves said, =
Americans need to understand Iran's approach to interpersonal =
communications in order to understand the complexities Iranians face in =
dealing with each other. Analyst after analyst said that after centuries =
of cloaking their true feelings, Iranians are often unsure whom they can =
trust when dealing with each other, let alone foreigners.
One Western diplomat, who insisted on anonymity because that is standard =
diplomatic protocol, said it was possible that when Iran said it could =
not respond before the end of August to the West's offer on its nuclear =
program, that it was not only a diplomatic maneuver, but may also have =
been a nod to the reality of internal Iranian politics. Major decisions =
on the nuclear issue involve consensus at the highest levels of the =
political elite. But consensus can be hard to achieve when interpersonal =
communications, at least initially, are defined by taarof, mistrust and =
different political agendas, the diplomat said.
At the same time, understanding the cultural/moral foundation of a =
community can also help Americans understand whether or not an agreement =
was actually reached, even when the Iranians seem to say that a deal is =
done. "You can translate words, but can you translate feelings?" asked =
Saeed Leylaz, a political analyst and former government official in =
Tehran. "British diplomats are more successful with us. They understand =
our ways and our culture."
Indeed, Americans and Iranians speak two different languages. Americans =
are pragmatists and word choice is often based on the shortest route =
from here to there. Iranians are poets and tend to use language as =
though it were paint, to be spread out, blended, swirled. Words can be =
presented as pieces in a puzzle, pieces that may or may not fit together =
neatly.=20
"In Iran, you praise people but you don't mean it," Dr. Sanati said. =
"You invite people for all sorts of things, and you don't mean it. You =
promise things, and you don't mean it. People who live here understand =
that."
Today, Iranians are expecting the United States to take the time to =
understand its culture. It has seen America fail the test of cultural =
translation in Iraq.
"It is up to America to understand us, because it is stronger," said Mr. =
Leylaz, the political analyst. There are differences of opinion about =
how much taarof, or indirection, or as some people call it, expediency, =
actually affects public discourse. People in Iran assume that when a =
politician offers something he knows he can't deliver, it is taarof. =
They don't call it a lie.
But what about when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sends a letter to =
President Bush. Is it sincere, or taarof? The letter has been =
interpreted by some Iranians as the president trying to follow the path =
of the Prophet Muhammad, who sent letters to his enemies, or of copying =
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who sent a letter in 1989 to Mikhail =
Gorbachev. Some have called it na=EFve, or just bad politics. Certainly =
its import is unclear, but to all of these people, it seemed intended as =
a serious overture. Washington, in contrast, dismissed the letter as =
irrelevant because it did not address any of the substantial issues on =
the table. It wanted Tehran to be more direct.
Dr. Hadian, who was a childhood friend of the president, suggested a =
different approach: "If you talk to Ahmadinejad you have to consider =
taarof."=20
"Taarof is a sign of respect, even if we don't mean it."=20
Muhammad Atrianfar, publisher of the reform-minded daily newspaper =
Shargh, said Iranians find Americans easy to deal with because they are =
straightforward. That, he implied, could give Iranians an advantage in =
any negotiations. But for Americans to understand Iranians, he said, =
they must recognize that with Iranians, "the mind thinks something, the =
heart feels something else, the tongue says something else, and manners =
do something else.
"It doesn't mean people are lying," he said. "They are just dealing with =
you with a different character."
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>*************************************************<BR>It is =
difficult to=20
get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not=20
understanding it. -- Upton Sinclair</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>*************************************************<BR>Ken=20
Ehrensal<BR>Associate Professor, Management Department<BR>Kutztown Univ. =
of=20
PA<BR><A =
href=3D"mailto:ehrensal at kutztown.edu">ehrensal at kutztown.edu</A><BR><A=20
href=3D"http://faculty.kutztown.edu/ehrensal/">http://faculty.kutztown.ed=
u/ehrensal/</A><BR>**************************************************</FO=
NT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- <BR></DIV>
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<DIV class=3Dtimestamp>August 6, 2006</DIV>
<DIV class=3Dkicker><NYT_KICKER>Iranian 101: A Lesson for=20
Americans</NYT_KICKER></DIV>
<H1><NYT_HEADLINE version=3D"1.0" type=3D" ">The Fine Art of Hiding What =
You Mean to=20
Say </NYT_HEADLINE></H1><NYT_BYLINE version=3D"1.0" type=3D" ">
<DIV class=3Dbyline>By <A title=3D"More Articles by Michael Slackman"=20
href=3D"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/mich=
ael_slackman/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-per">MICHAEL=20
SLACKMAN</A></DIV></NYT_BYLINE><NYT_TEXT>
<DIV id=3DarticleBody>
<P>TEHRAN</P>
<P>IT is certainly unfair to accuse all Iranians of being liars. The =
label is=20
judgmental and reeks of stereotype. The more appropriate way to phrase =
the=20
Iranian view toward honesty, the way many Iranians themselves describe =
it, is to=20
say that being direct and telling the truth are not prized principles in =
<A=20
title=3D"More news and information about Iran."=20
href=3D"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterr=
itories/iran/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-geo">Iran</A>.</P>
<P>Often, just the opposite is true. People are expected to give false =
praise=20
and insincere promise. They are expected to tell you what you want to =
hear to=20
avoid conflict, or to offer hope when there is none. </P>
<P>There is a social principle in Iran called taarof, a concept that =
describes=20
the practice of insincerity =97 of inviting people to dinner when you =
don=92t really=20
want their company, for example. Iranians understand such practices as =
manners=20
and are not offended by them.</P>
<P>But taarof is just one aspect of a whole framework for communication =
that can=20
put Iranian words in a completely different context from the one =
Americans are=20
familiar with.</P>
<P>=93You have to guess if people are sincere, you are never sure,=94 =
said Nasser=20
Hadian, a political science professor at the University of Tehran. =
=93Symbolism=20
and vagueness are inherent in our language.=94</P>
<P>This way of communicating is suddenly essential for Americans to =
understand.=20
Increasingly, it appears that the road to peace, and war, runs through =
Tehran.=20
And so hearing what Iranians are really saying, not what Americans think =
they=20
are saying, has become a priority. Iran has outsized influence with <A=20
title=3D"More articles about Hezbollah"=20
href=3D"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations=
/h/hezbollah/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-org">Hezbollah</A>=20
in southern Lebanon. It has profound influence with the newly empowered =
Shiites=20
of Iraq. And it is locked in its own fight with the <A=20
title=3D"More articles about Security Council, U.N."=20
href=3D"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations=
/s/security_council/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-org">United=20
Nations Security Council</A> over its ambition to develop nuclear=20
technology.</P>
<P>And yet, understanding each other =97 forget about agreeing =97 is =
complicated=20
from the start.</P>
<P>=93Speech has a different function than it does in the West,=94 said =
Kian=20
Tajbakhsh, a social scientist who lived for many years in England and =
the United=20
States before returning to Iran a decade ago. =93In the West, 80 percent =
of=20
language is denotative. In Iran 80 percent is connotative.=94</P>
<P>Translation: In the West, =93yes=94 generally means yes. In Iran, =
=93yes=94 can mean=20
yes, but it often means maybe or no. In Iran, Dr. Tajbakhsh said, =
listeners are=20
expected to understand that words don=92t necessarily mean exactly what =
they mean.=20
</P>
<P>=93This creates a rich, poetic linguistic culture,=94 he said. =93It =
creates a=20
multidimensional culture where people are adept at picking up on =
nuances. On the=20
other hand, it makes for bad political discourse. In political discourse =
people=20
don=92t know what to trust.=94</P>
<P>It is not a crude ethnic joke or slur to talk about taarof, but a =
cultural=20
reality that Iranians say stems from centuries under foreign occupation. =
Whether=20
it was the Arabs, the Mongols or the French and the British, foreign =
hegemony=20
taught Iranians the value of hiding their true face. The principle is =
also=20
enshrined in the majority religion here, Shiite Islam, which in other =
lands is a=20
minority religion, often at odds with the majority. There is a concept =
known as=20
takiya in which Shiites are permitted, even encouraged, to hide their =
belief or=20
faith to protect their life, honor or property.</P>
<P>=93When you tell lies, it can save your life,=94 said Muhammad =
Sanati, a social=20
psychologist who lived for years in England before returning to Iran in =
1982.=20
=93Then you can see the problem of language in this country.=94</P>
<P>Diplomacy everywhere is the art of not showing your hand, and if =
Iranians=20
have shown skill at forcing negotiations over negotiations, or winning =
by=20
stalling, it would be an overstatement to say that it can be explained =
solely by=20
a culture of taarof. But Western diplomats based in Iran say that =
Iran=92s=20
cultural foundation gives it a leg up when dealing with the more studied =
negotiating skills of the Americans. </P>
<P>Perhaps more important, such diplomats and Iranians themselves said,=20
Americans need to understand Iran=92s approach to interpersonal =
communications in=20
order to understand the complexities Iranians face in dealing with each =
other.=20
Analyst after analyst said that after centuries of cloaking their true =
feelings,=20
Iranians are often unsure whom they can trust when dealing with each =
other, let=20
alone foreigners.</P>
<P>One Western diplomat, who insisted on anonymity because that is =
standard=20
diplomatic protocol, said it was possible that when Iran said it could =
not=20
respond before the end of August to the West=92s offer on its nuclear =
program,=20
that it was not only a diplomatic maneuver, but may also have been a nod =
to the=20
reality of internal Iranian politics. Major decisions on the nuclear =
issue=20
involve consensus at the highest levels of the political elite. But =
consensus=20
can be hard to achieve when interpersonal communications, at least =
initially,=20
are defined by taarof, mistrust and different political agendas, the =
diplomat=20
said.</P>
<P>At the same time, understanding the cultural/moral foundation of a =
community=20
can also help Americans understand whether or not an agreement was =
actually=20
reached, even when the Iranians seem to say that a deal is done. =93You =
can=20
translate words, but can you translate feelings?=94 asked Saeed Leylaz, =
a=20
political analyst and former government official in Tehran. =93British =
diplomats=20
are more successful with us. They understand our ways and our =
culture.=94</P>
<P>Indeed, Americans and Iranians speak two different languages. =
Americans are=20
pragmatists and word choice is often based on the shortest route from =
here to=20
there. Iranians are poets and tend to use language as though it were =
paint, to=20
be spread out, blended, swirled. Words can be presented as pieces in a =
puzzle,=20
pieces that may or may not fit together neatly. </P>
<P>=93In Iran, you praise people but you don=92t mean it,=94 Dr. Sanati =
said. =93You=20
invite people for all sorts of things, and you don=92t mean it. You =
promise=20
things, and you don=92t mean it. People who live here understand =
that.=94</P>
<P>Today, Iranians are expecting the United States to take the time to=20
understand its culture. It has seen America fail the test of cultural=20
translation in Iraq.</P>
<P>=93It is up to America to understand us, because it is stronger,=94 =
said Mr.=20
Leylaz, the political analyst. There are differences of opinion about =
how much=20
taarof, or indirection, or as some people call it, expediency, actually =
affects=20
public discourse. People in Iran assume that when a politician offers =
something=20
he knows he can=92t deliver, it is taarof. They don=92t call it a =
lie.</P>
<P>But what about when President <A=20
title=3D"More articles about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad."=20
href=3D"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/a/mahm=
oud_ahmadinejad/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-per">Mahmoud=20
Ahmadinejad</A> sends a letter to President Bush. Is it sincere, or =
taarof? The=20
letter has been interpreted by some Iranians as the president trying to =
follow=20
the path of the Prophet Muhammad, who sent letters to his enemies, or of =
copying=20
Ayatollah <A title=3D"More articles about Ruhollah Khomeini"=20
href=3D"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/ruho=
llah_khomeini/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-per">Ruhollah=20
Khomeini</A>, who sent a letter in 1989 to <A=20
title=3D"More articles about Mikhail S. Gorbachev."=20
href=3D"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/mikh=
ail_s_gorbachev/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-per">Mikhail=20
Gorbachev</A>. Some have called it na=EFve, or just bad politics. =
Certainly its=20
import is unclear, but to all of these people, it seemed intended as a =
serious=20
overture. Washington, in contrast, dismissed the letter as irrelevant =
because it=20
did not address any of the substantial issues on the table. It wanted =
Tehran to=20
be more direct.</P>
<P>Dr. Hadian, who was a childhood friend of the president, suggested a=20
different approach: =93If you talk to Ahmadinejad you have to consider =
taarof.=94=20
</P>
<P>=93Taarof is a sign of respect, even if we don=92t mean it.=94 </P>
<P>Muhammad Atrianfar, publisher of the reform-minded daily newspaper =
Shargh,=20
said Iranians find Americans easy to deal with because they are =
straightforward.=20
That, he implied, could give Iranians an advantage in any negotiations. =
But for=20
Americans to understand Iranians, he said, they must recognize that with =
Iranians, =93the mind thinks something, the heart feels something else, =
the tongue=20
says something else, and manners do something else.</P>
<P>=93It doesn=92t mean people are lying,=94 he said. =93They are just =
dealing with you=20
with a different character.=94</P></DIV></NYT_TEXT><BR>
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