In this year-end episode, I reflect on a simple but often overlooked truth: real connection is not created by language alone. You can study a foreign language for years and still feel no bond with certain people, while sometimes sharing deep understanding with someone despite limited words. Communication goes beyond vocabulary and grammar—it rests on values, worldview, and shared emotional rhythm. I also explore how “being natural” or “speaking honestly” is often an act, especially in politics and public life. True understanding comes from sensing what lies beneath words. Thank you for listening this year, and I wish you a thoughtful and peaceful new year.