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From: elna@netcom.com (Esperanto League N America)
Subject: Re: languages & happiness!!
Message-ID: <elnaE4p9y7.M14@netcom.com>
Organization: Esperanto League for North America, Inc.
References: <853605030.2652@dejanews.com> <32E78DF8.60D1@sn.nono> <5c8ehl$ojl@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> <32E8F9C2.4FDA@sn.nono>
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 04:03:42 GMT
Lines: 27
Sender: elna@netcom20.netcom.com

ablehr@sn.nono writes in a recent posting (reference <32E8F9C2.4FDA@sn.nono>):
>
>I enjoy learning languages myself, but somehow the satisfaction I get
>out of understanding and finally mastering the language and its
>structure and logic is proportional to its complexity.  I don't mind
>simple languages either, but a simple *constructed* language (i.e.,
>constructed to be simple) doesn't get my vote (nor do complex
>constructed languages...).
>
One should not argue about matters of taste.  "De gustibus..."

I enjoy the elegant economy of Esperanto's agglutinative structure.
But more importantly, I enjoy the ease with which it can be "used"
at reasonable conversational levels, and the range of people with whom 
it can be used.  We in the US were taught to dislike and fear Russians, 
but I find that many of my propogandized preconceptions fall away when
I meet Russian Esperantists, because I can come to know something about
the way they think, their aspirations, disappointments, etc. I have also
been led away from stereotypical notions about Japanese, Israelis, et al.
by simply getting to know people from these national groups via this
artificial language.

-- 
Miko SLOPER              elna@netcom.com              USA  (510) 653 0998
Direktoro de la          ftp.netcom.com:/pub/el/elna   fax (510) 653 1468 
Centra Oficejo de la     Learn Esperanto! Free lessons: e-mail/snail-mail
Esperanto-Ligo de N.A.   Write to above address or call:  1-800-ESPERANTO
