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> We don't think in terms of language. Language is simply a translation layer for the underlying neurological phenomenon. It feels like we think in language bec

> We don't think in terms of language. Language is simply a translation layer for the underlying neurological phenomenon. It feels like we think in language because we tend to understand concepts after they've been turned into words. It always surprises me how many people assume the opposite. Since I don't speak or use my native language during the day, sometimes people will come and ask me whether I "think" in my native language, or in my adopted language. And they're always baffled when I say "neither", because that's not how I think people think. (Sometimes I, too, may construct internal dialogues in either language, but I never form thoughts themselves as sentences. In fact, more often than not I forget the word that expresses a particular idea, or feeling, or something. That doesn't mean I won't still be able to think about it)

tim333 10y ago
I guess one can think in language although it's not the main way we do it but it is the most observable and you can write it down easily unlike the non verbal but more important parts.
k__ 10y ago
Yes. "thinking" for me is a stream of thoughts. But speaking helps to linearize those thoughts and makes them more distinct. I often just talk to people about my thoughts because it helps meto structure them with the help of language. Sometimes I even get to the point where I have a thought that doesn't map to a word.
jhedwards 10y ago
I think that thinking can happen in different modes depending on what is useful for the domain you're contemplating. When I am programming I often "see" programs as geometric or organic interlocking structures. I find that I don't really understand a program until I can visualize its structure. On the other hand sometimes I use language and dialog to think out a problem. I remember a specific incident where I was laying in bed on a hot day and I thought "I'm laying here constantly sweating" and then I thought "sweating sounds like a Chinese name" and that's when I realized I had been thinking in Chinese where sweating is pronounced "chu han". You could argue that language-style thought is "translated" from deeper concepts, but I think that goes without saying because there must be some layer of thought that is pre-representation.
Retra 10y ago
Language is a huge part of people's cultural perspective, and it causes all sorts of stupid things to happen. People will say things like "animals don't have morality", when in fact they only fail to have a human morality that humans can communicate. They'll say "animal X doesn't have emotions" - based on what? The fact that they can't communicate with you and demonstrate a human-like response? Then there's the whole board of culture antagonism built upon the premise of people who can't speak your language being 'lesser people' in some manner.

tim333 10y ago

I guess one can think in language although it's not the main way we do it but it is the most observable and you can write it down easily unlike the non verbal but more important parts.

k__ 10y ago

Yes. "thinking" for me is a stream of thoughts. But speaking helps to linearize those thoughts and makes them more distinct. I often just talk to people about my thoughts because it helps meto structure them with the help of language. Sometimes I even get to the point where I have a thought that doesn't map to a word.

jhedwards 10y ago

I think that thinking can happen in different modes depending on what is useful for the domain you're contemplating. When I am programming I often "see" programs as geometric or organic interlocking structures. I find that I don't really understand a program until I can visualize its structure. On the other hand sometimes I use language and dialog to think out a problem. I remember a specific incident where I was laying in bed on a hot day and I thought "I'm laying here constantly sweating" and then I thought "sweating sounds like a Chinese name" and that's when I realized I had been thinking in Chinese where sweating is pronounced "chu han". You could argue that language-style thought is "translated" from deeper concepts, but I think that goes without saying because there must be some layer of thought that is pre-representation.

Retra 10y ago

Language is a huge part of people's cultural perspective, and it causes all sorts of stupid things to happen. People will say things like "animals don't have morality", when in fact they only fail to have a human morality that humans can communicate. They'll say "animal X doesn't have emotions" - based on what? The fact that they can't communicate with you and demonstrate a human-like response? Then there's the whole board of culture antagonism built upon the premise of people who can't speak your language being 'lesser people' in some manner.