Grammar, Identity, and the Dark Side of the Subjunctive: Phuc Tran

This is a good video with just a few seconds of minor language. It talks about the subjunctive in our language and the way that it might influence our lives for good or bad. It's a surprisingly interesting talk about language and grammar, and it certainly allowed me to look at my life in a different way. The subjunctive is the ability to talk about possibilities and things that have not and did not happen.



When do I let the "dark side" of the subjunctive take away my happiness about the reality of things? When do I let the indicative close my eyes to the creativity and wonder that is the possible future?



My favorite was the very end, when he talks about the most optimistic and pessimistic countries in the world. The most optimistic? Vietnam, which does not have a subjunctive. The most pessimistic? France, which has two subjunctive forms.



What do you think the balance is, in your life personally?