Various forms of fommunication

Would you prefer for yourself to be described as a hot or cold person? Most people actually prefer to be described as the former. And why is that? While neither of the two adjectives are actually favourable, some at least prefer to be described as having a certain degree of emotion than none at all.

For example, when you are described as a hot person, it suggests two things. One could be that you are actually quite attractive and that onlookers would be attracted to you. When the phrase “you’re hot” is used to describe you, it would mean that you get someone’s body temperature rising and you get their senses going. But that’s only half of the equation. Sometimes when you are described as “hot”, there could also be another connotation in that you are annoyed, angry or made – that something has got your temperature going instead. So when you hear the words “he’s hot” or “she’s hot” out of context – there is some mental working out to be done to figure out what the speaker actually means.

But what about “cold”? Coldness is usually used to signify frostiness and a lack of emotion. If someone is described as a cold person, it usually is used to mean emotions are missing or muted in that indiidual.
The English language has many of such contradictions. “Hot” either means angry (unattractive) or attractive, and while “cold” is more definitive, what about “cool”? Expressing the idea that someone is cool may suggests he is quite popular and people like him. Yet when we say someone is cool to an idea, it implies their enthusiasm has been muted. “It’s a cool idea” is a different expression from “I’m cool to the idea”!

Verbal communication can hence be skewed, which is why sometimes general, non-verbal communication is useful at times, particularly in those who suffer from autism. Music is sometimes prescribed as a form of therapy from those who suffer from it, because it allows them to express feelings that they might find difficult to articulate. But one need not worry about how long it takes to learn the instrument. Piano talent is not hereditary but developed and practised (as evidenced here) and if learnt well, can also be useful as a qualification if you take piano exams! And if you are interested in learning the piano, perhaps here are some facts about it that may interest you too!