y.” Not surprisingly, the boy believes that the world is all about money. He wants the finest clothes and most extravagant gifts. Through their language, his parents have created a reality for the boy. Every time the young boy sees a person that is poor, he quickly assumes that he or she is also not happy. I happen to know many people who are not blessed financially, but they are some of the happiest people in the world. We are going to Ethiopia now. We understand this country to be poor and disadvantaged. The young boy from Ethiopia, believe it or not, is very happy with his life. He spends his days frolicking with his brothers and sisters. He has no worries and he has everything he needs. His parents always say, “Son, money is the root of all evil and being rich is not important.” Ultimately, the boy believes that rich people are evil, because they have so much money. The Ethiopian boy’s reality is very different than the boy from California. One centers his life around money while the other has no regard for the uses of money. Neither reality is better or right, only different. What parents say to their kids has such a strong influence on a child’s view of the world. Language shapes all aspects of our lives. Why do reporters have the privilege of deciding what events are important in our lives? What does this mean you ask? Well, a reporter selects which stories he would like to broadcast on the air, and those are the stories that we hear about. What a reporter tells us strongly influences our view of reality. When a news broadcaster continually airs stories about shootings, murders, and crimes, then our reality takes on the shape of a rather violent world. In another country, like Japan, violence is not so commonplace. Japanese have a more pacified view of reality, because violence is not so openly spoke about. See how words and language shape reality for each of us? Humans can ...
