Michelle Kaplan (2:38)

You know, things like that. Maybe my son's school if I need to tell them something. But yeah, not too many. Yeah, not too many people. But today we are going to answer a wonderful and specific listener question that I'm excited to get into. Lindsay, this comes to us from YouTube from Amir Hast see men 8411. Would you like to read the question?

Lindsay McMahon (3:07)

Yes. Here's the question. Hello, guys. I really enjoy when I listen to you. I appreciate everything you do. I always learn new things whenever I listen to you. I have a question. I have some confusion about the difference between human and person. Sometimes I use Humans instead of people. Am I doing this wrong? Could you give me some examples about it and deep dive into this topic for clarity for my mind, please. Thank you so much. Love from Turkey. Wonderful. Wonderful.

Michelle Kaplan (3:37)

Thank you. This is, this is a great question. I mean, this is. I. We love these specific questions totally. We can really dig into and analyze, and they're really a lot of fun.

Lindsay McMahon (3:49)

But yeah, by the way, guys, make sure you send in, you know, it's a new year. We're looking for new questions for great episodes. So send your specific question into support@allearsenglish.com we'd love to answer your question if it's a good one.

Michelle Kaplan (4:03)

Exactly. Exactly. So we are going to get into the answer to this question, but before we do, we also want to remind you to hit the follow button wherever you're listening to the All Ears English podcast so you don't miss anything from us.

Lindsay McMahon (4:16)

You got it? All right, so this listener on YouTube is asking the difference between human and person. Right. Or humans and people. Right. So where do we start, Michelle?

Michelle Kaplan (4:27)

Well, so would it have been awkward if I asked you in the beginning, how many humans do you typically talk to on the phone in one week? Would that.

Lindsay McMahon (4:34)

It would have been a little weird, Michelle, because then I would have thought, oh, okay. So she wants me to specify between, do I call animals? Like, yeah, yeah, call my dog on the phone or something.

Michelle Kaplan (4:48)

Right, right, right, right, right. So let's start with human then. So to me, it's. A human is a little bit more scientific sounding. Right? The species of humans, and it's a little bit more formal. So for. Let's give an example. Humans are not equipped to handle an alien invasion.

Lindsay McMahon (5:10)

Exactly. So here we're talking about the species, right? The human body cannot go to space without being supported or something. Right. A healthy environment is needed for a human to thrive and survive. Right.

Michelle Kaplan (5:26)

Or it is human to want to succeed. So sometimes you'll say, like, you'll hear somebody say, oh, it's human. It's, you know, it's common for the human, like for human nature, for everybody. The species of humans.

Lindsay McMahon (5:40)

I love saying this, and I say this a lot. So it's kind of two different. These examples are sort of two different buckets, right? We're talking about the physical body, like what the body needs, what the body can handle. And then like the, the, the state of being human or the condition of being human in the world. Right. There are certain things the heart wants, right? And we talk about this, and this can be a connection topic too.

Michelle Kaplan (6:01)

Oh, right.

Lindsay McMahon (6:02)

So really good stuff. So we'll get into this a bit deeper, but let's just keep it clean in the beginning, Michelle. And what's the difference then with person or people? How do we. How should we think about that?

Michelle Kaplan (6:12)

So this one is not as formal or as textbook or scientific sounding, really. This is more social, individualistic, not, you know, just like about the actual people in your life, not so much about the species.

Lindsay McMahon (6:31)

Yeah.

Michelle Kaplan (6:32)

So for example, there are 20 people who applied to the job. So again, if we said 20 humans, it would be like, oh, there are 20 humans and 22 birds. Like, yeah, just.

Lindsay McMahon (6:43)

Or, or I might think, okay, there are 20 humans and there are two chat bots applying to the job.

Michelle Kaplan (6:49)

Right. Oh my God, you're right. You're right.

Lindsay McMahon (6:53)

Right. So this is differentiating a species, alive or not. Right. Or are you an animal or a person? Right. So. But what we're talking about, people, it's a little bit different. So I'm only one person. I can't do everything. So here it wouldn't make sense to say I'm only one human. Not really. Not really?

Michelle Kaplan (7:09)

No, no. I. It just, it's two form. Like this is again, person, people, more individualistic, more about who we are, more personal. Or here's another one. She's such a unique person. I love talking to her.

Lindsay McMahon (7:26)

Yeah. And maybe at the end we'll get into the twist. I feel like there are some twists here, Michelle, because you. I can occasionally hear someone say she's such a unique human or she's such a unique human being. Right.

Michelle Kaplan (7:38)

True human being as well. That's exactly. Yes. That's different. So what. So again, yeah, there can definitely be some gray areas on this, but. But keep it clean. Like Lindsay said in the beginning, this. This idea of more scientific sounding versus more individualistic sounding. So in general, that's how you would tell the difference. But we're going to get way deeper after.

Lindsay McMahon (8:03)

After the break of exceptions and some ways we can truly use these phrasings to connect. Right. Yes. All right, good.

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Lindsay McMahon (9:46)

All right, Michelle, I'm excited to dig into this because I feel like this, these two words are everywhere and they're important for connection. So let's go into some collocations. I mean, we can just learn collocations and memorize them. We don't have to worry.

Advertisement Voice (9:59)

Right?

Michelle Kaplan (10:00)

Yeah. And, and we'll just, we'll talk about, you know, how these fit into it. But, you know, so let's get started. So one is human nature. So this is very common. So this is about how people, I'm saying people now, how, how humans though, work. Right. So it's human nature to want to connect with others. And again, if you think about that, that is sounding more kind of scientific. It's more. Oh, just human nature. Nature, right. Yep.

Lindsay McMahon (10:30)

And you could also drop nature here and just say it's human to want to connect with others.

Michelle Kaplan (10:35)

Right.

Lindsay McMahon (10:35)

I mean, that's what this whole show is about is human connection. Because we know that that is such a deep value for every single person on this planet. Right. Whether we realize it or not. So when we're talking about like evolutionary stuff, Human makes sense. The word human makes sense. Okay.

Michelle Kaplan (10:53)

Yes. Love it. Exactly. What's the next one?

Lindsay McMahon (10:55)

The human body. So the human body can't live without water. That's just a fact. Right. You would, you would never say the person body.

Michelle Kaplan (11:02)

No, not the person body, but you could say people can't live without water.

Lindsay McMahon (11:06)

Sure.

Michelle Kaplan (11:07)

So again, sometimes it's, you know, a gray area and. But we learn the basics and we learn how they're commonly used and we go from there. Or here's another one, human rights. Right. So this is just about, you know, things that are. How do, how do you explain human rights?

Lindsay McMahon (11:29)

What's human rights. Yeah. So the idea of supporting marginalized groups. Right. Groups that have not been. Have not had a fair shake in life. Right. Or being marginalized in certain ways. So, for example, her law firm focused on human rights for immigrants.

Michelle Kaplan (11:45)

Yeah. Then at work, there's human resources. So you would say human resources or hr. So that's like the department where you deal with hiring, firing. Yeah, you know, all. All sorts of vacation time, different issues that may arise at work between people who are employees. Right. Trainings. Right, Trainings.

Lindsay McMahon (12:13)

Yeah, I know. Like DEI came out of the. Generally comes out of these departments. Right. Diversity, equity, inclusion programs, that kind of thing come out of Human resources. Usually.

Michelle Kaplan (12:23)

Okay.

Lindsay McMahon (12:23)

Yeah.

Michelle Kaplan (12:24)

So I think you should talk to human Resources about this. So maybe somebody has an issue, they would go to hr.

Lindsay McMahon (12:30)

Yeah. And then the human mind. I find the human mind to be fascinating, which I think we all do.

Michelle Kaplan (12:35)

Right.

Lindsay McMahon (12:35)

If you look at how complex I would. If I could be a doctor, and if I were smart enough to be a doctor, I would be a neurologist, because. How cool.

Michelle Kaplan (12:43)

Right?

Lindsay McMahon (12:44)

Oh, yeah. Oh, my gosh. How amazing. To learn how the brain. There's so much we still don't know about the brain and how it works, Michelle.

Michelle Kaplan (12:51)

That and how we apparently only use a certain percentage of our brain. It's wild.

Lindsay McMahon (12:55)

It's incredible. Yeah.

Michelle Kaplan (12:57)

And then we'll do one more. So then human being. Right. That's the basic. Human beings will have to evolve when it comes to AI.

Lindsay McMahon (13:05)

Yeah. It's kind of like humans versus AI. Right. Or humans alongside AI. We'll see what happens. And then another bucket of collocations. Guys, you should be writing these down. When it comes to person or people. Tell us this one, Michelle.

Michelle Kaplan (13:20)

All right, So a blank person. I mean. Excuse me. Yeah, a blank person or blank people. So with an adjective. Friendly people, American people, young people. Right.

Lindsay McMahon (13:32)

Whatever you want. Fashionable people. Right. A people pleaser. Michelle, are you a people pleaser? Be honest.

Michelle Kaplan (13:40)

I think so. I do. I do like to make people happy, but I. I try as I get older not to care as much, but I think it's still. What about you?

Lindsay McMahon (13:51)

Yeah, I have some of those tendencies in me, for sure. I think we've talked about this on the show before. It can come up. I mean, there's a lot there. So it's just. You basically just want to keep other people happy.

Michelle Kaplan (14:01)

Right.

Lindsay McMahon (14:02)

But as we get to know ourselves better, we start to gain that confidence, probably.

Advertisement Voice (14:06)

Right?

Lindsay McMahon (14:06)

Yes.

Michelle Kaplan (14:09)

People skills.

Lindsay McMahon (14:10)

Yeah.

Michelle Kaplan (14:10)

What is that?

Lindsay McMahon (14:12)

So just the ability some people have. Uncanny. People Skills. Right. Ability to connect and communicate and like have this empathy, this level of empathy where they sense what someone's feeling. For example, she's okay, but I think her people skills are lacking.

Michelle Kaplan (14:26)

Right, right. So maybe that person is great. They are able to do their work. You know, you work with them, they're fine. But they're not necessarily good at speaking with people. And.

Lindsay McMahon (14:38)

Yeah, yeah.

Michelle Kaplan (14:40)

And this goes into this next one, which is a people person, which is really funny sounding, which is kind of.

Lindsay McMahon (14:46)

A cliche at this point, don't you think? It's like, I probably wouldn't use this in, at this point. It's been so overused in the media and probably in job interviews that I'd probably steer away from saying this in a job interview.

Michelle Kaplan (14:59)

I don't necessarily. I, I, I feel like I could still use people per, I don't know, like, I, I, I, but what, what is a, A people person means someone who loves people.

Lindsay McMahon (15:09)

Yeah, it is, it is. I'm a huge people person. I'm very extroverted. Right.

Michelle Kaplan (15:14)

And if, Are you a people person?

Lindsay McMahon (15:16)

I would say so. I would say so. Michelle, to. Mostly I'm a people person. I enjoy being around people and I get energy from them. I enjoyed this kind of conversation between us, you know, But I'm just saying, like, it's just, it's just, I've heard it in the, I feel like it's been poked fun at a little bit in the media, sort of. Yeah.

Michelle Kaplan (15:34)

Really?

Lindsay McMahon (15:34)

So it's a little overdone, but it's personal choice, right?

Michelle Kaplan (15:37)

Yeah. Yeah. Let's do one more and then we're going to do a role play. So a person of interest. So this is more a league legal. Right. If you find a person of interest, it's maybe somebody who is being considered that maybe they committed a crime. Right. So the police have located a person of interest who may have been associated with the crime.

Lindsay McMahon (16:02)

Yeah, I like that. And then there's some nuanced ways that I've heard humans being used. I remember back in the dating world, like people would say if they, if people had kids, they would, sometimes they would say like, I have two small humans at home.

Michelle Kaplan (16:17)

Yes.

Lindsay McMahon (16:17)

And instead of saying, I have two kids at home, because on your dating profile, maybe you didn't want, it's like this. You want to be a little sarcastic. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Right. What is that about? Like, why would you say, I have two small humans at home instead of saying I have two kids at home?

Michelle Kaplan (16:34)

Yeah, that's Funny. I didn't even think about that. But, yeah. I might even say, like to my mom, oh, my gosh. These humans, I don't know what they want.

Lindsay McMahon (16:41)

You know, like something like this is the breaking the rules, the gray area a little. A little bit, Right? Yeah.

Michelle Kaplan (16:46)

I think it's just kind of putting kind of a bit of a sarcastic or humorous twist on it.

Lindsay McMahon (16:54)

Yeah.

Michelle Kaplan (16:54)

It's almost like you're removing yourself from them. It's like, oh, these humans. Like, I'm. I. I don't know how to handle these humans. Right.

Lindsay McMahon (17:01)

It's like. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like they're from a biology textbook or something. It's like.

Michelle Kaplan (17:04)

Right.

Lindsay McMahon (17:05)

In a way, you're sort of dehumanizing them a little bit.

Michelle Kaplan (17:08)

True.

Lindsay McMahon (17:09)

But in a joking kind of way, be so that you're not so straightforward. Like, yes, I'm single, I'm dating, and I have two kids at home. Right. Maybe that's. Some people might see that as a liability.

Michelle Kaplan (17:18)

Right.

Lindsay McMahon (17:19)

And they wouldn't be interested. So you kind of change the wording to be a little more playful about it.

Michelle Kaplan (17:24)

Right.

Lindsay McMahon (17:24)

To soften it. Yeah.

Michelle Kaplan (17:25)

That's so interesting. Yeah, I. I could definitely see myself saying, oh, my gosh, these. These humans are running around and I don't know what to give them for dinner. And. Yeah, it removes your. It removes you a little bit. It's a little bit playful. So very interest.

Lindsay McMahon (17:40)

Really interesting. That's for our highest level students to catch on to. C1, C2. You guys are ready for that. There's something for everyone in this episode. So let's go into a role play, Michelle, shall we?

Michelle Kaplan (17:50)

Okay, so here we are talking about our friend. We're not going to use every single one because we taught a lot today, but we'll use a bunch. Okay, here we go. I love Tracy, but sometimes I think she's too much of a people pleaser.

Lindsay McMahon (18:03)

Ah, that's true. But honestly, I think that's just human nature. The human mind is designed to want to be liked.

Michelle Kaplan (18:11)

Yeah, I guess you're right. I probably need to work on my people skills. I'm not much of a people person.

Lindsay McMahon (18:17)

I don't think that's true. You work in human resources.

Michelle Kaplan (18:20)

I know, but I do get exhausted by that.

Lindsay McMahon (18:23)

Well, that's human to feel that way.

Michelle Kaplan (18:25)

I guess you're right.

Lindsay McMahon (18:27)

And I think this is a really nice way to connect with someone by just saying, you know, what you're experiencing is just really human. You know what I mean? You might not be able to solve the problem for them. Right. Or help them change. But you can say you are okay as you are because of what you're experiencing. I think this thing.

Michelle Kaplan (18:44)

You're not alone. Right. You're not alone and it's okay. Right. Because this is just a. This is part of the human species to have these feelings.

Lindsay McMahon (18:54)

Yeah.

Michelle Kaplan (18:55)

The human condition.

Lindsay McMahon (18:55)

Right, exactly. So let's go through it, Michelle. So first you said, I love Tracy, but sometimes I think she's too much of a people pleaser. So she's running around trying to keep everyone happy and maybe not saying what she really thinks.

Advertisement Voice (19:08)

Right.

Michelle Kaplan (19:10)

And you said, that's true. But honestly, I think that's just human nature. So you're saying it's part of the human condition that people, you know, want to do things to make others happy. So you said the human mind is designed to want to be liked.

Lindsay McMahon (19:23)

Yeah. And I always find that interesting to go back to evolution and think about, like, what are the things that we wanted as human beings in the early days? And like, link that back to today and that will help explain some. Some behavior. Right? Yeah. Doesn't excuse everything. Right. But somebody, it's. It helps us understand ourselves a bit better. Right, Right. And then you said, I guess you're right. I probably need to work on my people skills. I'm not much of a people person. Right.

Michelle Kaplan (19:49)

And then you said, I don't think that's true. You work in human resources. So I'm saying you work with people. That's your job.

Lindsay McMahon (19:56)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then you said, yeah, but I do get exhausted by that. And I said, well, it's human to feel that way or that's human to feel that way. You could say both. There's. It's human or that's human.

Michelle Kaplan (20:07)

Right? Yeah, yeah, exactly. So, yeah, oh, we went through a lot today. But again, we think about this in terms of, you know, collocations, common ways that you're going to hear this, and also the far. In the first part of the episode, we taught really the cut and dry differences.

Lindsay McMahon (20:25)

Yeah.

Michelle Kaplan (20:26)

You know, more about being about the human species versus individualistic people.

Lindsay McMahon (20:33)

Yep, exactly. So if we lost you somewhere around the gray areas, guys, don't worry about it. Go back to the basic differences. Right. Between human and people and really good questions. Send us your question again to support dollarsenglish.com and as you finish up today, guys, go to 2560. Do you want the long or short version? How to open a story with respect. I love this episode, Michelle.

Michelle Kaplan (20:56)

Yeah. It's so important. A lot of fun.

Lindsay McMahon (20:57)

Right. Because we want to ask someone before we go into a story, how much do you really, how much detail do you really want from me?

Michelle Kaplan (21:04)

Y very important skill that we talked about at that on that episode. So. Yeah, yeah, I think we went over the takeaway already. So should we jump off the mic?

Lindsay McMahon (21:13)

Yeah, I think that's pretty much it. I mean, we, if we can make observations about what's human and what's normal, that's a cool way to just let people off the hook a bit. Right? What we said. That's. And that's observing human nature. That's pretty cool. That's a good connection skill right there. And excited to see what follow up questions our listeners have from this episode.

Michelle Kaplan (21:32)

All right. Yes, absolutely. Thanks for this great question. And guys, keep sending in your questions.

Lindsay McMahon (21:37)

All right. Bye, Michelle.

Michelle Kaplan (21:39)

Bye.

Lindsay McMahon (21:44)

Thanks for listening to Allears English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com fluencyscore and if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.

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