Is the "English Self" Different from the "Japanese Self"? The Mechanism of the Mind that Separates Emotions and Judgments

Things that are difficult to say in Japanese can easily come out in English. When working in a foreign language, I feel like I can be more straightforward than usual.

For those who live a life of switching languages, the feeling that "the atmosphere changes depending on the language spoken" might be easy to imagine.

But does this change extend to moral judgments? Could it be that a lie hesitated over in Japanese is acceptable in English, or a sacrifice unacceptable in one's native language is considered rational in a foreign language?

The explanation by researchers published on Phys.org on November 4, 2026, does not provide a simple answer to this question. While a change in language can alter emotions and self-perception, it does not necessarily change moral judgments.

What is noteworthy is not just the language used, but what the person thinking in that language values.

The theory that "one becomes more rational in a foreign language"

The relationship between foreign languages and decision-making has been studied under the phenomenon known as the "foreign language effect."

A common scenario used in moral judgment research is a hypothetical situation where sacrificing a few people can save many. Some past studies have reported that people are more likely to accept choices involving sacrifices when reading the problem in a foreign language rather than in their native language.

One explanation is that using a foreign language creates a psychological distance from the situation, weakening emotional resistance.

However, "choosing to save the majority," "making a rational choice," and "making a morally right choice" do not mean the same thing. Some prioritize how many people are saved, while others emphasize not treating people as means to an end.

Even if the answer changes in a foreign language, it cannot be concluded that the quality of judgment has improved just because of that. Moreover, there are studies where no language differences are observed.

The current study focused on the often-overlooked characteristics of the "person making the judgment" when considering such variations.

Four questions about life and honesty asked to 106 people

The study involved 106 participants whose native language was Greek and who had intermediate or advanced proficiency in English.

Participants responded to four moral dilemmas. Two involved issues related to harm to people, such as the permissibility of sacrificing one person to save many. The remaining two involved issues of honesty and trust, such as lying on a resume to increase employability or whether to confess infidelity to a partner.

Additionally, they answered questions about their moral values. Half of the participants were surveyed in Greek, and the other half in English.

This is an important point when reading the study. It compared two groups answering in different languages, rather than comparing the same person before and after switching languages.

As a result, there was no clear difference in moral choices based solely on whether Greek or English was used. Those who answered in English were not uniformly more likely to accept sacrifices, nor were they more likely to reject them.

This does not prove that "foreign languages never influence judgment." At least for the participants and tasks in this study, language alone could not explain the direction of judgment.

What changed with language was the sense of "what kind of person am I?"

While there was no difference observed in the judgments themselves, there was a difference in self-perception.

Participants who answered in their native Greek placed more emphasis on "being a moral person" as part of their identity compared to those who answered in English.

The key concept in the study is "moral identity," which refers to how much traits like honesty, fairness, and compassion are central to one's self-concept.

For example, knowing "lying is bad" and feeling "being honest is essential to who I am" are different. In the latter, honesty becomes part of one's self-image, beyond just a rule.

Researchers suggest that one's native language is deeply connected to the social environment where childhood, family, and values were learned, explaining the results.

Using words tied to experiences like being told as a child, "Be honest" or "Consider others' feelings," may make it easier to recall one's moral values.

However, this is just one possible mechanism, and the study did not directly prove it as the cause.

"Wanting to be honest" and "actually choosing how to act" are different

Just because one's moral self-image is strongly emphasized in their native language does not mean all moral-related indicators are heightened.

According to the original article, the motivation to act according to one's principles did not show the same language difference.

Thus, the following three aspects need to be considered separately:

• How one perceives themselves
• How strong their emotions are in the moment
• Which option they ultimately choose

Feeling one's conscience closer in their native language does not mean they will always act honestly in that language.

Moreover, responses to questionnaires are not the same as real-life actions. There is a gap between how one answers about lying on a resume and what they actually write during a job search that affects their livelihood.

This study cannot determine a person's honesty based on the language used.

There were times when emotions were stronger in a second language

Another interesting finding was that participants who answered in English sometimes reported stronger emotions than those who answered in Greek.

If one only knows the explanation that "emotions are diluted in a foreign language," this might seem surprising.

However, experiences of using a foreign language are not uniform. The experiences associated with a language learned from textbooks, used daily at work, or spoken with close ones differ.

This study cannot pinpoint a single cause for why emotions were stronger in a second language. Nonetheless, caution is needed against generalizing that using a foreign language always allows one to distance themselves from emotions.

Moreover, the report of strong emotions did not directly lead to differences in judgment.

Even if one's heart is strongly moved, the final answer chosen might be the same. Conversely, even if one answers calmly, it doesn't mean they haven't thought deeply. A perspective that doesn't treat the strength of emotions and the content of judgment as a continuum is necessary.

"What is important to me" was related to judgment

Researchers emphasize that individual differences in moral identity were related to responses to dilemmas.

Participants who strongly emphasized moral values in their self-image tended to report strong emotional reactions and reject dishonest or harmful actions. This tendency was particularly noticeable in issues related to everyday honesty, such as lying on a resume.

However, this is not an intervention experiment showing that making people strongly aware of their moral values will always improve behavior. It is a result showing a correlation between self-image and responses.

Nevertheless, it highlights aspects that are difficult to capture by looking only at language.

We live our lives before reading the problem statement. We have regrets about not keeping promises, joys of being trusted, and our own non-negotiable lines. Switching languages doesn't erase all of these.

On social media, there are also experiences of separating "emotional language" and "thinking language"

Direct social media reactions to the November 2026 article were not sufficiently gathered within the scope confirmed. Therefore, related past public discussions are introduced.

On the overseas forum Reddit, various experiences about the connection between language and emotions have been posted in relation to brain research on multilingual speakers introduced in 2024. It should be noted that these are not reactions to the current moral judgment study.

One poster explained that they experience emotions like sadness in Spanish, while they use English when reflecting or analyzing.

Another poster stated that while happy memories with their spouse are tied to Spanish, they naturally switch to English when talking about work, as they used English in their joint business.

There were also experiences shared where it was easier to talk about emotions and open up to others in a second language.

These posts reveal a lived reality where native and foreign languages cannot be simply divided into "emotional language" and "calm language." For one person, a foreign language might be a work language, while for another, it might be filled with family memories.

Of course, social media posts are self-selected individual experiences and do not serve as evidence for research results. It is also not possible to speculate on the proportion of "many bilinguals feel this way."

Even so, it reminds us that when considering the effects of language, we cannot ignore who the person is, where they are, and what experiences they have had.

How should it be received in Japanese workplaces and daily life?

This study targeted Greek and English speakers, and the same results may not apply to those who use Japanese and English.

With that in mind, there are hints for considering Japanese workplaces and daily life.

For example, it is premature to evaluate someone who becomes concise in English meetings as "colder than when speaking Japanese." The vocabulary they can express and the expected manner of speaking in meetings may have changed.

Conversely, just because discussions progress more easily in English does not mean the conclusions are automatically fair and rational. Ease of expression and the validity of judgment are separate issues.

What follows is not a method verified for effectiveness in research, but a practical suggestion based on the results.

In important judgments, it is beneficial to set aside time to confirm "who will be affected and how," "what are our priorities," and "are there any overlooked perspectives," rather than focusing solely on the language used.

If necessary, organize thoughts in the language that is easiest to think in and then explain them in the shared language. However, this does not mean that returning to the native language will yield the correct answer. It is a strategy to more clearly grasp the reasons for one's judgment.

Language draws out one aspect of oneself, but it doesn't decide everything

This study has its scope, with 106 participants, limited language combinations, and four hypothetical tasks. It cannot be directly applied to real negotiations or interpersonal relationships.

Moreover, just because no judgment differences were observed due to language, it cannot be concluded that even small influences do not exist.

Still, the questions posed by the study are familiar.

Feeling that the self who speaks English is slightly different from the self who speaks Japanese does not need to be denied. It is possible for the experiences that are easier to recall, the emotions that are easier to express, and the self-image that is easier to be aware of to change depending on the language.

However, there is no need to immediately interpret these differences as "the personality has changed" or "the conscience has weakened."

When the language changes, which part of the heart moves? And what important things remain even if it moves?

Research on foreign languages and moral views shifts our focus from the question of "in which language can we make the right judgment?" to "what do we value in making judgments?"

Sources and References

1. Phys.org/The Conversation:Referencing a survey of 106 people and differences in judgment, self-perception, and emotions.
   https://phys.org/news/2026-11-language-shift-moral-compass-overpower.html

2. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition: The research paper titled "Moral identity and language jointly influence how bilinguals feel and decide."
   Confirming the bibliographic information of the study and that it deals with moral identity and language.
   https://doi.org/10.1017/S136672892610159XCambridge Core

3. Reddit・r/science: Past public discussions on brain research of multilingual speakers.
   Referring to experiences of using Spanish and English for emotions, analysis, and work, and posts about finding it easier to talk about feelings in a second language. Introduced as related experiences, not direct reactions to the current article.
   https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/1bctssu/for_people_who_speak_many_languages_theres/