www.svetimageda.lt experiment video

Watch What Happens When a Man Asks People to Translate a Hate Message He’s Received

During a social experiment, a man requests help to translate a Facebook message he has received.

The man, who is in Lithuania, speaks English only. He receives a message in Lithuanian and can’t read it, so he asks some locals to translate it for him.

www.svetimageda.lt experiment video

As he asks one person after another to translate the message for him, two things become obvious.

1. He’s received a message full of hate speech.

2. Translating it for him is breaking people’s hearts.

It’s nearly more than these people can bear.

There’s a sudden, powerful connection between the translators and the man they’re translating for. They want to protect him, telling him not to bother with the message.

www.svetimageda.lt experiment video

They apologize for the message.

They look like they want to cry.

www.svetimageda.lt experiment video

Words hurt.

Most of us would never think of saying such horrible things. This video shows people realizing in their gut what it must feel like when those words are pointed at them — it’s all right on their faces. And so is their compassion.

The Facebook message is horrible, but their empathy is beautiful. The video’s emotional power is what makes it unique, and so worth watching and passing around.

Here it is.

The video’s in English, subtitled in Lithuanian. Just watch the faces.


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