--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Blame and English Speakers In the same…" description: "\"“Blame and English Speakers In the same article, Boroditsky notes that in English, we’ll often say that someone broke a vase even if it was an accident..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cb/jessica-gross-173154_guilt_blame-and-english-speakers-in-the-same-a_2018026.jpg" --- # Blame and English Speakers In the same article, Boroditsky… ![“Blame and English Speakers In the same article, Boroditsky notes that in English, we’ll often say that someone broke a vase even if it was an accident, but Spanish and Japanese speakers tend to say that the vase broke itself. Boroditsky describes a study by her student Caitlin Fausey in which…” quote by Jessica Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cb/jessica-gross-173154_guilt_blame-and-english-speakers-in-the-same-a_2018026.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cb/jessica-gross-173154_guilt_blame-and-english-speakers-in-the-same-a_2018026.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cb/jessica-gross-173154_guilt_blame-and-english-speakers-in-the-same-a_2018026.jpg) > ““Blame and English Speakers In the same article, Boroditsky notes that in English, we’ll often say that someone broke a vase even if it was an accident, but Spanish and Japanese speakers tend to say that the vase broke itself. Boroditsky describes a study by her student Caitlin Fausey in which English speakers were much more likely to remember who accidentally popped balloons, broke eggs, or spilled drinks in a video than Spanish or Japanese speakers. (Guilt alert!) Not only that, Boroditsky argues, but there’s a correlation between a focus on agents in English and our criminal-justice bent toward punishing transgressors rather than restituting victims.”” Jessica Gross ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. English emphasizes agents, leading to more blame on people; other languages focus on events, reducing personal guilt. **In simple terms:** English language focuses on who did it, shaping blame. Key Takeaway Be aware of language bias in assigning responsibility. Themes language cognition culture responsibility justice Mood analytical critical Type Blame:1 Guilt:1 English Speakers:1 Blame English:1 Accident Spanish:0 Vase Accident:0 When to use this quote - legal discussions - education - multilingual communication - media analysis Key Concepts linguistic relativity agency bias cross‑cultural perception Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape your view of blame? - Can you adopt more neutral phrasing? A Different Perspective Changing language alone may not shift deep‑seated cultural attitudes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) ## Related quotes > [When in doubt about who's to blame. Blame the English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/when-in-doubt-about-who-s-to-blame-blame-the-english/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [Most English speakers do not have the writer's short fuse about seeing or hearing their language brutalized. This is the main reason, I suspect,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/most-english-speakers-do-not-have-the-writer-s-short-fuse-about/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [All the English speakers, or almost all, have difficulties with the gender of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-pivot/all-the-english-speakers-or-almost-all-have-difficulties-with-the/) [Bernard Pivot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-pivot/) > [I was from a Tamil-medium school, and my peers were English speakers, so it was intimidating. But I was aware that English skills were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chef-damu/i-was-from-a-tamil-medium-school-and-my-peers-were-english-speakers/) [Chef Damu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chef-damu/) > [“What was it about English speakers that allowed them to talk into transmitters as if the sky were a diary?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/what-was-it-about-english-speakers-that-allowed-them-to-talk-into/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“I think we are wise, we English speakers, to savor accents. They teach us things about our own tongue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/i-think-we-are-wise-we-english-speakers-to-savor-accents-they-teach/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [“English is not merely a language anymore; it has become a way of life for millions of non-native English speakers around the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/english-is-not-merely-a-language-anymore-it-has-become-a-way-of-life/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [My enduring feeling about René Lévesque is that if he had chosen to hang me, even as he tightened the rope round my neck,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordecai-richler/my-enduring-feeling-about-ren-l-vesque-is-that-if-he-had-chosen-to/) [Mordecai Richler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordecai-richler/) > [“Guilt kept me going. It was impossible not to blame myself for what had happened, but even guilt was a comfort. It was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/guilt-kept-me-going-it-was-impossible-not-to-blame-myself-for-what/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [We all feel the urge to condemn ourselves out of guilt, to blame others for our misfortunes and to fantasize about total disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/we-all-feel-the-urge-to-condemn-ourselves-out-of-guilt-to-blame/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [The human capacity for guilt is such that people can always find ways to blame themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-capacity-for-guilt-is-such-that-people-can-always-find-ways/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“Shame Brain happens when we see our mistakes as our identity. It’s the difference between “I made an error” and “I am an error.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-esther/shame-brain-happens-when-we-see-our-mistakes-as-our-identity-it-s-the/) Elizabeth Esther > [“If a child is abused by a family member, most likely they blame themselves for the integral act of abuse than those that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/if-a-child-is-abused-by-a-family-member-most-likely-they-blame/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [“I felt like I needed to comfort both the little girl inside me and my mother, assuring them that neither of them could have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-merryn/i-felt-like-i-needed-to-comfort-both-the-little-girl-inside-me-and-my/) [Erin Merryn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-merryn/) > [I think the saddest thing is how people take on guilt and blame that isn't theirs or doesn't belong to them, and how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wunmi-mosaku/i-think-the-saddest-thing-is-how-people-take-on-guilt-and-blame-that/) [Wunmi Mosaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wunmi-mosaku/) ## More Blame quotes > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. Me girlfriend sort of blames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/me-mum-used-to-always-have-the-radio-on-even-now-she-has-it-on-in/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-the-great/i-like-to-praise-and-reward-loudly-to-blame-quietly/) [Catherine the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-the-great/) > [Some of the things that I said I hated to say, but blame yourself mother fucker you made it this way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jedi-mind-tricks/some-of-the-things-that-i-said-i-hated-to-say-but-blame-yourself/) [Jedi Mind Tricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jedi-mind-tricks/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In places where government priorities and market imperatives create a world so capricious that to help a neighbor is to risk your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/in-places-where-government-priorities-and-market-imperatives-create-a/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“Stop Blaming Others For Your Own Actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/stop-blaming-others-for-your-own-actions/) [Alexis G. Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't blame anyone .. I did this to myself .. It's my fault .. Everything is my FAULT ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nurnizz95/i-don-t-blame-anyone-i-did-this-to-myself-it-s-my-fault-everything-is/) Nurnizz95 > [“They would congratulate themselves every morning on keeping their integrity, and blame themselves each night for that missed opportunity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/they-would-congratulate-themselves-every-morning-on-keeping-their/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I try to live my life where I end up at a point where I have no regrets. So I try to choose the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-aronofsky/i-try-to-live-my-life-where-i-end-up-at-a-point-where-i-have-no/) [Darren Aronofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-aronofsky/) > [How come you don't feel that magic in the air? I guess I knew you'll never be there. I guess I knew you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-come-you-don-t-feel-that-magic-in-the-air-i-guess-i-knew-you-ll/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am down mentally. I can't understand how it happened and who is to blame? I don't know why the ground was rolled before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yeasin-khan/i-am-down-mentally-i-can-t-understand-how-it-happened-and-who-is-to/) Yeasin Khan > [A refusal to admit one's mistake & not accepting responsibility for that mistake by blaming everyone else, is d beginning of one's decline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-refusal-to-admit-one-s-mistake-not-accepting-responsibility-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Listen, the guy was not created by coverage from MSNBC and CNN. If you want to blame us for making Donald Trump president because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-tur/listen-the-guy-was-not-created-by-coverage-from-msnbc-and-cnn-if-you/) [Katy Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-tur/) Browse all 3,779 Blame quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Blame and English Speakers In the same article, Boroditsky notes that in English, we’ll often say that someone broke a vase even if it was an accident, but Spanish and Japanese speakers tend to say that the vase broke itself. Boroditsky describes a study by her student Caitlin Fausey in which English speakers were much more likely to remember who accidentally popped balloons, broke eggs, or spilled drinks in a video than Spanish or Japanese speakers. (Guilt alert!) 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