How does language shape our politics? Journalist Isaac Saul explores how subtle word choices can inhibit productive dialogue about significant issues — and shows how small (but important) changes can help us all have better conversations with people who think differently than us.
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@Daphne4926
July 11, 2024 at 5:41 pm
Thank you, Isaac — what you are doing is so very important! And Tangle provides a wonderful perspective on so many issues.
@user-xx7jn8pd4w
July 11, 2024 at 5:55 pm
Well done! I love Tangle.
@amywallace4026
July 11, 2024 at 6:00 pm
What is TED?
@benhoad7613
July 11, 2024 at 6:05 pm
I understand whats trying to be done here and Isaac is completely correct about the use of language, but him equating left to liberal and trying to get conservatives to read his newsletter that doesn’t at all agree with the brainwashing that is done to them, this idea is doomed to fail.
It would be so much more fruitful to work on pulling liberals left and radicalizing them under tenets of anti-capitalism than to try change conservatives for the most part, there are a lot of liberals or people that at least know that republicans are too evil to be allowed in offcie, and getting them on your side is so much more important
@NealCruco
July 11, 2024 at 8:27 pm
Isaac’s goal with the Tangle newsletter isn’t to radicalize people, though. It’s to get them talking to others across the political divide. You appear to have given up everyone right of center as a lost cause; Isaac hasn’t. In fact, he hires them and seeks out their opinions as much as left-wingers. About 40% of Tangle’s readership considers themselves liberal, but 30% consider themselves conservative. (The other 30% identify as independent or some other descriptor.) Plus, Tangle has been rated as “center” by two different organizations that evaluate media bias. Isaac’s work here has proved that there is still a large segment of the population who wants a media outlet where both sides of the political spectrum are treated with respect.
@lytebulb100w
July 11, 2024 at 6:15 pm
Asking someone how they define certain terms can also be super important in relationships with family or loved ones.
Language is supposed to help others understand us and to help us understand others. To help us share. If a word or phrase becomes “political” I’ve been quick to drop it from my vocabulary and find an alternative. The words usually become less useful and cause issues with communication.
I have found people to be much more likely to understand me when I avoid “buzz words”.
@whitneyranchproductions4637
July 11, 2024 at 6:15 pm
Good job Isaac! As a Tangle subscriber, I heard exactly what I expected.
@briancapo123
July 11, 2024 at 6:20 pm
Love tangle!
@flights4ny
July 11, 2024 at 6:32 pm
This transparent and sincere approach to communicating difficult topics is exactly why I’m a Tangle supporter. Great job Isaac! I rely on you and the Tangle team for honest political reporting.
@jowens808
July 11, 2024 at 6:39 pm
I agree about your point that not all black nor all white people are the same. Isn’t part of the reason for using Black as a capitalized term because they may all face the same discrimination based on color of their skin, despite their individual differences? They face additional scrutiny and prejudice because they are Black, not because of who they are as a person. That perception tied to skin color is different for those that are part of the existing, generally white, power structures.
@waltersaul1807
July 11, 2024 at 6:42 pm
Bravo, Isaac! America and the world need to hear this!
@jowens808
July 11, 2024 at 6:43 pm
Great talk, I really like the idea of defining terms and choosing neutral terms as best as possible.
@ryanhanford4878
July 11, 2024 at 6:43 pm
Great message and a great effort at Tangle.
@jjohnson8151
July 11, 2024 at 6:45 pm
Thank you Tangle staff and Issac Saul. Tangle is my go-to news daily. I can read it without fear of mudslinging or further polarization. Superb reminders about the importance of language and our word choices that can help heal the divide. Beautiful, Issac!
@rebeccareynolds5808
July 11, 2024 at 7:12 pm
This is so good and necessary in this election year. Thank you Isaac!!
@NoNameToHave
July 11, 2024 at 7:51 pm
Maybe the most impressive lecture in a while.
@chadcerutti6473
July 11, 2024 at 7:54 pm
Tangle is the single most important piece of media I consume. I’m able to communicate so much stronger with everyone in my life because of it. The news is always fair, even, and insightful
@bethherndon1713
July 11, 2024 at 7:59 pm
Isaac – I appreciate how you are constantly striving to help all of us hear one another. I have been reading Tangle for more than a year and encourage everyone to give it a try!
@niccolom
July 11, 2024 at 8:12 pm
8:00
The issue with the Black is that, one side is dealing with strictly the Black community in the USA, and one side is dealing with all peoples from the Black race worldwide.
When dealing with the American Black people, you need to put them on a pedestal because of the crimes done to their ancestors. You don’t need to do the same to non-American Black people who are outside of the USA, because all races are supposed to be equal. The idea is that you use different language when talking to different groups, which is completely normal and recommended anyways.
@jennyh1307
July 11, 2024 at 8:22 pm
Great talk! Thanks for these thoughtful suggestions!
@niccolom
July 11, 2024 at 8:25 pm
11:40
You say you don’t have to make everybody happy, yet you’re trying to do that with carefully used wordings.
What I disagree with is that there is no need — zero, zilch, nada — for people in different political tribes to communicate with each other.
And you know what, asking people to stop getting offended all the time, you’re going to offend the liberals.
I’m on social media many hours a day, yet I have never heard of your “neutral” website. Nobody is sharing anything from it, and heck, nobody is even talking about it. It’s so bad that people ignore its existence. You know what people say, “the worst form of insult is indifference.” Your social experiment has been insulted. When you try to target everyone, you target no one.
The bottomline is, the person in the middle is the enemy of both sides. So, just pick a side and go with it.
Many people complain that the country is divided, or even the world is divided. I think that’s a great thing. If the place is not divided, that means one or more sides have been persecuted and suppressed. The more divided the people are, the higher level of freedom it really is.
Division is great. You just need to find your own echo chamber and fight for your team.
@florwood
July 11, 2024 at 8:46 pm
I appreciate the fair presentation he gives in his Tangle newsletter to hot button issues, and the work to understand and present contrasting views. It’s increased my access to reasoned information.
@NealCruco
July 11, 2024 at 8:59 pm
This is excellent work! I have often thought that language is just another front in the culture war, and yet it’s also how we communicate ideas to each other. I believe that many people have much more in common with their enemies than they think- but in order to realize this, you first have to realize that you may inadvertently be beating up a person who doesn’t even exist outside of your mind, and you have to be willing to reach out and learn about the real person in front of you. You are doing this, Isaac, along with the other Tangle staff, and I can’t support you all enough!
@michaelbanks3150
July 11, 2024 at 9:04 pm
Been listening to the Tangle podcast for maybe a year now, it has quickly become my favorite source for all things political news and commentary. A very welcome dose of sanity in an increasingly insane world!
@MastroTunes
July 11, 2024 at 9:05 pm
Brilliant piece, congrats on fighting the good fight. It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it.
@freesk8
July 11, 2024 at 9:24 pm
We need to talk to each other instead of censoring or cancelling each other. We need to be able to disagree, without being disagreeable. We need to stop taking offense, and instead respond with calm reason. We need to get our of our media silos. If you only use NPR and the New York Times, or if you only use Fox News and Breitbart, then you need to hear other sides of the story. You are only getting one perspective on the world. We need to listen to each other, and we need to seek truth, instead of power.
@debstump4020
July 12, 2024 at 8:51 am
Well done Isaac!
@CavemanSynthesizer
July 12, 2024 at 8:56 am
I don’t know if splitting the difference on the left’s euphamism treadmill is that admirable.
@kachandler1
July 12, 2024 at 9:51 am
Congratulations Isaac and Tangle Team! So excited to see and read about you and your work’s continuing reach.
@truhhhhhhhokIII3
July 12, 2024 at 10:30 am
Unfortunately maga doesnt care about nuance, facts, or even science or helping anyone but themselves… no $h!7 they will ignore all this and just believe some anti USA bs hannity pushes.
How does that change?
@christinahargrove9399
July 12, 2024 at 10:30 am
Well done, Mr. Saul! Thank you for spreading the good word about the words we use and how we can speak to one another and really hear each other. This is so important!
@sovanndaily9194
July 12, 2024 at 10:59 am
❤❤❤
@rachelleslie5
July 12, 2024 at 11:30 am
Nice talk, Isaac! My friend turned me on to Tangle a few months ago and I have really appreciated the very thoughtful discussion and centrist point of view on today’s most pressing issues. Thank you for the work that you do!
@philipwashburn3033
July 12, 2024 at 12:11 pm
This is what presenting news should look like in a pluralistic society. Thank you Isaac and Tangle for setting the bar and showing the path.
@trt41475
July 12, 2024 at 12:29 pm
Tangle is one of the best newsletters out there. Long time subscriber and it’s always a daily read for me. Not only does it do a fantastic job keeping you informed, it’s actually helped me relate and discuss issues with family members who have polar opposite views from mine without just yelling at each other. Great job Isaac!
@carsthea4410
July 12, 2024 at 12:46 pm
Fantastic TED! ……and fantastic TANGLE newsletter!
@liquidcreation9367
July 12, 2024 at 12:56 pm
This talk was not only full of refreshing truth, it was courageous. To bring up issues like immigration, abortion, racism, and Zionism as illustrations was crossing an unfortunate cultural taboo that many of us have become persuaded is something “you’re not supposed to talk about.” By using these examples, Isaac punctuated the problem by virtue of the likely reaction when people heard them. I’m so happy we have someone in media who is both reasonable and compassionate to all sides. We need to be able to talk to each other. More importantly, as he said, we need to remember how to listen to each other with an open heart. It’s for that reason that i read Tangle, his newsletter, every day. I can vouch for the fact that Tangle does everything he talked about in this video.
@markzitter7434
July 12, 2024 at 1:08 pm
Excellent talk. Isaac has done a terrific job with Tangle, which is my go-to news source these days due to its determination to avoid bias. Reading the newsletter and listening to the podcast gives me both sides of each issue as well as Isaac’s thoughtful opinion. This well-designed TED Talk outlines the philosophy behind Tangle’s work. Following it would make all of us a bit smarter and public debates much more productive.
@Kyp031
July 12, 2024 at 1:28 pm
I really dont see the toothless MAGA guy having a legit conversation.
@mcb4330
July 12, 2024 at 1:30 pm
Phenomenal Isaac! I love that you point out just how important language is to communication while at the same time acknowledging the problem with over emphasizing language when speaking with someone with a differing view. We need to listen for the intent and meaning, and put less emphasis on labels. Keep up the great work!
@ET-do2gd
July 12, 2024 at 2:06 pm
Great job Isaac, well done here, just as in Tangle every day.
@remmahraw6879
July 12, 2024 at 2:38 pm
I’ve been reading Tangle for a while now. For sure one of the best places I get my news.
@amandadauria9731
July 12, 2024 at 3:20 pm
I have been a Tangle reader for a little over two years now, and I think everyone could benefit from Isaac and team’s thoughtful commentary and valiant mission to provide well balanced and trustworthy news to the masses.
@manuelfriend4060
July 12, 2024 at 3:38 pm
The first comparison is a bad example. There is a big difference between turning yourself in and getting caught and then arrested. If the actual event was the opposite of one of those headlines, then that headline would be factually incorrect while the other would be factually correct. To maintain the political connotations of each message: If the people did in fact turn themselves in, then the first one should use “caught” to remain factually correct, and if they were arrested, then the second one should use “detained.”
@mombird6464
July 12, 2024 at 4:16 pm
Great job, Isaac! Thanks for pointing out some real techniques that we can all use to help address the problem of polarization. Keep up the good work at Tangle News! 👍🏼
@zionen01
July 12, 2024 at 4:22 pm
Glad to see this kind of discussion taking place. Polarization is so easy to hack into the human system and is being abused by so many actors, it’s time to stop think and be more tolerant.
@mattjames9866
July 12, 2024 at 5:57 pm
Highly recommend Tangle! Best impartial news source I’ve come across.
@sara-mu3si
July 12, 2024 at 6:45 pm
This is an important topic. We need to be able to communicate with people we disagree with in a civil manner. Great talk!
@claudebaines6098
July 12, 2024 at 7:53 pm
Well done Isaac. Guessing by the reaction the audience loved it.
@ruthsandin231
July 12, 2024 at 9:01 pm
I love the Tangle where Isaac works! It is obvious when reading it that they work at being independent. I recommend it to friends from both “tribes”.
@mrpizm
July 12, 2024 at 9:40 pm
Been a paying member for years now🎉
@Mikey7a
July 12, 2024 at 10:37 pm
Tangle took me out of my political bubble, and makes me re-think many things I thought I knew about. What a great TEDTalk Issac!
@MalindaMeasner
July 12, 2024 at 11:04 pm
Insightful talk. I read Tangle daily and it always gives me a clearer perspective on ‘what’s happening’.
@angieallen4884
July 12, 2024 at 11:51 pm
Isaac Saul is the reason I subscribe to Tangle, and you should, too. It is the best newletter I receive (and I receive several) and he is the reason why. Great talk, Isaac!
@thomastaylor9586
July 13, 2024 at 12:26 am
Isaac Saul is so Woke. Can’t everybody be compelled to use his chosen vocabulary? Likewise can’t we choose neutral words? Like Fraudulently Documented Migrant, since most are loaded with documents, just fake
@suebasko3865
July 13, 2024 at 12:48 am
Interesting!
@scottwhite2747
July 13, 2024 at 1:01 am
Isaac, I’m proud of you! Exercise Free Speech and spread Transparency
@PotatoFi
July 13, 2024 at 1:04 am
This was fantastic, thank you Isaac! I’ve been a Tangle subscriber since 2021, and this helped me understand who you write on another level. Thanks for this toolkit to better conversations!
@jamescarter9119
July 13, 2024 at 9:54 am
I very much enjoyed your talk and really appreciate the team at Tangle. From my experience, adopting actions and language Isaac has suggested and explained will cause quite a few raised eyebrows among our friends and acquaintances. Some will even question if we’ve changed our positions on issues – simply by using less tribe-centric language. Tangle’s writings and interviews regarding tribes and tribalism are well worth researching and reviewing.
@danjaboy7760
July 13, 2024 at 10:19 am
I have a question. What can we do to combat the fact that using such a language style loses readers? I understand the talk itself is aiming to shift everyone towards the mindset to seek such a language choice style but in the meantime, how can we make sure this style isn’t drowned in capitalism?
@moonweaver3098
July 13, 2024 at 2:31 pm
This is why I continue to read Tangle!
@piroreaper14
July 13, 2024 at 2:51 pm
Tangle is the only news I read! I think their mission is what we need in the world today
@shrimpdance4761
July 13, 2024 at 3:43 pm
What he’s doing is hard. Just yesterday, I was reading the comment section on an NYT Opinion video, and some people accused the New! York! Times! of being secretly conservative just for sharing a certain viewpoint. Some people really want to stay in their echo chambers, and as Isaac pointed out earlier in the talk, see hearing other perspectives/language as a betrayal.
@Lizzieverse
July 13, 2024 at 5:25 pm
Love ❤
@Taracinablue
July 13, 2024 at 6:57 pm
Interesting
@casiwells2643
July 14, 2024 at 11:22 am
Love the insights and how passionate you are about people being able to try and see each other with understanding (not necessarily agreement, but understanding)
@DavidLee-y3t
July 14, 2024 at 11:26 am
I’m a paid subscriber to Tangle and it’s the best investment I’ve made in a LONG time. I love this presentation. It’s interesting, instructive, and absolutely representative of what I get in Tangle every day. As Tangle has grown, Isaac has grown in the level of nuance in his presentatioin, and even in some of his positions. But the basic philosophy and character of Tangle has never wavered. I used to try for balance by listening to eccho chambers from both sides. This is much, much easier and better.
@urmilaedithbest3016
July 14, 2024 at 2:12 pm
I love the Tangle daily newsletter. One of the best for keeping up with the news in a balanced way, without taking too much time
@pattergood
July 14, 2024 at 4:59 pm
My brother recommended Tangle to me about a year ago, and I’ve been a regular reader ever since. As someone else commented, I really appreciate the news being presented without rage/outrage.
@gado__
July 14, 2024 at 6:53 pm
Well, now it’s fucked anyway lol
@user-vi9je7zp2g
July 14, 2024 at 8:05 pm
Isaac, I remember one of your newsletters addressed how different media outlets used language and the effect on the readers. Your TED talk underscores what you said in your newsletter, and it’s influenced the way I read news articles, so thank you!
@btube771
July 14, 2024 at 8:12 pm
Well said, Issac.
@killroyboy
July 15, 2024 at 12:41 pm
Tangle is my *only* trusted source of political news.
@kevinhardy8997
July 15, 2024 at 4:38 pm
Listen to more Heavy Metal.
@marcymcdonough8951
July 15, 2024 at 6:09 pm
If you’ve heard “fair and balanced” before and laughed at how what you saw/heard wasn’t, Tangle actually is! I can’t recommend subscribing to the newsletter enough. If you are a seeker of truth without hyperbole and only acknowledged bias, Tangle is the place to look.