Think before you answer. The person has always been blind. Don't say "green is like the smell of freshly cut grass." How do you actually expect the blind person to understand that?
Thanks.
2006-10-19 16:57:02 · 18 answers · asked by Epitome 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
I know it's been asked, but people failed to understand that it not probable one will understand the concept of color if you just describe "hot or cold" to them.
2006-10-19 17:03:02 · update #1
Hi, Epitome,
According to my brother-in-law, who has been blind all of his life, the answer is "no".. due to him never having a reference to colors..... Example : while in school he was described what a cloud is... and looked like and color etc... and then given cotton to feel.... To him "cotton", is a cloud and is white but he cannot see the color just feel it.... Red is described as hot.. and he associates that with something hot, blue is cool etc...
>>>>>>>>
Thanks, for the question!;)
My regards!Take care!
2006-10-19 17:12:27 · answer #1 · answered by Kimberly 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think the premise here is weak. It would be impossible to convey to a blind person the "vision" of colour. If you'd like them to understand YOUR perception of colour by association, that's the best you could do. Actually, this seems a little "self serving" however well intended. A blind person has all the other senses already, warmth, yes, smell of fresh cut grass, etc. Perhaps more intensely than you. Truly, what is the POINT of this?
2006-10-19 19:59:44 · answer #2 · answered by Valac Gypsy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, it would be hard since they don't know what color looks like. They would know that it is different then the dark. I think if a person was trying to describe color to a blind person, they would have to do so in a differnt way. Relate color to the other senses.
2006-10-19 22:37:53 · answer #3 · answered by Kgirl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A blind man could never truely experience color (depending upon the syverity of his condition). A person can never think of something without a memory of it...or a combination of memories to make something. It first takes an initial impression to create a memory and it takes an initial impression of color to have the memory of color. A blind man will NEVER experience color as long as he remains blind. NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU, OR ANYONE TRYS.
2006-10-19 17:12:21 · answer #4 · answered by I *Heart* Plato 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
did you ever see that movie mask with cher? you know, and her kid with the disease went to the camp for blind people and had the girl he liked (who was blind) feel things to see color. like a hot rock was red and an ice cube was blue...stuff like that. i think it'd be hard to explain color to someone who's never seen it. you should try to use all their available senses to explain. you should rent the movie if you've never seen it....it's great and would probably give other color suggestions (which is totally not what the movie's about but if you get something out of it that no one else does, that's a good thing i think)
2006-10-19 17:04:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure what people who are blind from birth dream about. Can they see in their dreams? If so, how would they know its "seeing" and how would we know they are describing it accurately? If we are reasonably sure that blind people do "see" in their dreams, then I guess I would try to appeal to those visions. But that would be pretty difficult to do, I think. Beyond that, I don't really think it would be possible. Its like scientists attempts to talk about 5-dimensional space: we just can't imagine something qualtatively different from what we have experienced.
dances_wi...: i think it would be easier to explain music to a deaf person. they do feel the vibrations from music, and have some idea of what it would sound like based on those vibrations. the difference between vibrations that you hear and vibrations that you feel is one of degree, i think. sight is not like that. the photons hitting the blind person cannot be sensed at all, unlike the vibrations hitting the deaf person. At least with the deaf person there is a roughly similar experience to relate it to. With a blind person (assuming they can't see in their dreams) there is nothing like that.
2006-10-19 18:52:19 · answer #6 · answered by student_of_life 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Assuming that the person had a keen ear for music, I'd use that to describe colour. The different hues might be explained as different instruments, and the values through pitch. For example, a deep red may be a cello, a light blue the flute. It is imperfect, but reasonable.
2006-10-19 17:38:53 · answer #7 · answered by Rat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know if it's possible to do, any more than it is possible to explain music to a person who has always been deaf. While I might try to give analogies in a form the person COULD understand - scent, texture, sound, etc. - I would never know that what the person conceived was in fact color (and I would tend to doubt it).
And I ALWAYS think before I answer - perhaps you should take your own caution to heart?
2006-10-19 17:25:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd explain the scientific concept behind the color. If they cannot see it, they should at least know how it works, hoping they can fix their blindness or color blindness (with upcoming technology).
2006-10-19 16:58:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I read this and thought about the movie "Mask" , he explained color by using different items , something like you just said with the grass , they visualize , like in the movie billowy clouds ? he let her hold a bunch of cotton , for RED , he let her touch a hot potato , darn good movie . The movie had Cher in it
2006-10-19 17:03:55 · answer #10 · answered by ridingthestorm_out 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋