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There was a Reddit thread about something like this and some bilingual people said the language they speak changes their personalities to a degree. For example

There was a Reddit thread about something like this and some bilingual people said the language they speak changes their personalities to a degree. For example someone raised in a language - say French in France - and then learnt English and moved to the US and finding than he is being more assertive or direct when speaking English than when speaking his mother tongue.

ibejoeb 8y ago
This author makes the case that a language may be inherently better or worse at expressing certain notions. https://lithub.com/on-living-and-thinking-in-two-languages-at-once/ https://lithub.com/on-living-and-thinking-in-two-languages-a...
- jcims 8y ago
  I always wonder if our language can influence our actual behavior. For example, think of all the different ways you feel ‘hungry’. Well, what do you do when you’re hungry, you ‘eat’. Is it possible that your decision to ‘eat’ becomes independent from the impetus and a goal of its own? To the point where you’re now preparing food to ‘eat’ rather then to precisely address the sensation/discomfort that led you to that decision to begin with? In other words, is it possible that languages that allow you to more or less precisely describe/categorize something effect how we think about them and ultimately act in response?
cedex12 8y ago
A more reasonable explanation than "languages influences personality" is just the change of context. You speak different languages in different contexts.
- bunderbunder 8y ago
  You do, but, when you're in a context where you're speaking a language, you're also thinking in that language. I wouldn't be surprised if that has an influence on one's thought processes. Concrete example: I have less of a tendency toward hyperbole when I'm speaking my 2nd language. The reason why is simple: I don't know many hyperbolic idioms in that language, so I lack the ability to express myself hyperbolically. But I think it goes a step further: Lacking the vocabulary, I have a hard time even having hyperbolic thoughts when I'm thinking in that language. (That said, I don't want to suggest that this is somehow an aspect of the language itself. It seems more likely that native speakers have about the same range of expression as native speakers of any other language, and I'm just lacking it because of my limited familiarity.)
int_19h 8y ago
Something that I find interesting that even the manner of talking - speed, intonation, volume - can be extremely different between languages, and not readily recognizable as the same person talking.

ibejoeb 8y ago

This author makes the case that a language may be inherently better or worse at expressing certain notions. https://lithub.com/on-living-and-thinking-in-two-languages-at-once/ https://lithub.com/on-living-and-thinking-in-two-languages-a...

jcims 8y ago
I always wonder if our language can influence our actual behavior. For example, think of all the different ways you feel ‘hungry’. Well, what do you do when you’re hungry, you ‘eat’. Is it possible that your decision to ‘eat’ becomes independent from the impetus and a goal of its own? To the point where you’re now preparing food to ‘eat’ rather then to precisely address the sensation/discomfort that led you to that decision to begin with? In other words, is it possible that languages that allow you to more or less precisely describe/categorize something effect how we think about them and ultimately act in response?

cedex12 8y ago

A more reasonable explanation than "languages influences personality" is just the change of context. You speak different languages in different contexts.

bunderbunder 8y ago
You do, but, when you're in a context where you're speaking a language, you're also thinking in that language. I wouldn't be surprised if that has an influence on one's thought processes. Concrete example: I have less of a tendency toward hyperbole when I'm speaking my 2nd language. The reason why is simple: I don't know many hyperbolic idioms in that language, so I lack the ability to express myself hyperbolically. But I think it goes a step further: Lacking the vocabulary, I have a hard time even having hyperbolic thoughts when I'm thinking in that language. (That said, I don't want to suggest that this is somehow an aspect of the language itself. It seems more likely that native speakers have about the same range of expression as native speakers of any other language, and I'm just lacking it because of my limited familiarity.)

int_19h 8y ago

Something that I find interesting that even the manner of talking - speed, intonation, volume - can be extremely different between languages, and not readily recognizable as the same person talking.