Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 09:12:30 +0200 From: Rahul Siddharthan <rsidd@online.fr> To: Terry Lambert <tlambert2@mindspring.com> Cc: pgreen <polytarp@m-net.arbornet.org>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Language in danger: Language loss Message-ID: <20020527071230.GB2120@lpt.ens.fr> In-Reply-To: <3CF173C7.8EC49B13@mindspring.com> References: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0205261510470.28571-100000@m-net.arbornet.org> <3CF16722.F4236AC8@mindspring.com> <20020526225602.GC1562@lpt.ens.fr> <3CF173C7.8EC49B13@mindspring.com>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Terry Lambert said on May 26, 2002 at 16:46:15: > Perhaps I've read too much, or perhaps I'm thinking more in terms > of abstract conceptualization, which I would argue requires the use > of words. It doesn't. As some American judge said, "I can't define pornography but I know it when I see it." The same for artistry, democracy, any other abstract concept. We can sometimes define them in words but we have to struggle to do so. > But I generally think in terms of words, even for simple > concepts like "I'm hungry". You're fooling yourself. What you're doing is, you first feel hungry, and then you tell yourself in English that you're feeling hungry, though the process happens so quickly that there is perhaps no noticeable time-gap. That's what I meant by "talking to myself" as opposed to "thinking." Babies, and animals, feel hungry too without knowing any language. Try switching your thoughts to a language in which you are not totally comfortable, but not so ignorant that you have to translate word-by-word from English, if you know such a language. You'll notice the gap between thoughts and words then. But very likely "talking to yourself" in this way is a process that helps reinforce concepts and aids further thought. - Rahul To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?20020527071230.GB2120>