3 ms·
I don't believe that some thoughts are impossible for users of certain words, but do believe their thoughts are influenced by the words they use and hear used a
by pmoriarty 6y ago
I don't believe that some thoughts are impossible for users of certain words, but do believe their thoughts are influenced by the words they use and hear used all around them, and some thoughts are less likely in such people.
For instance, in Nazis who truly believed that Jewish people were subhuman, empathetic thoughts towards Jewish people were less likely.
Also, I don't agree that attempts at control have failed. I think they have often succeeded.
- perl4ever 6y agoThis is confusing me greatly for a fairly brief comment. - "Thoughts are not influenced by words" would be a silly claim, and I disavow it. - I am disoriented by your throwing out "some thoughts are impossible for users of certain words", not knowing who and where you think that was claimed. That's not the only way one could try to control thoughts with words. The method people seem to try a lot is to eliminate words to prevent thoughts, which seems like kind of the opposite. - On what basis do you presume you have good insight into the psychology of Nazis? I mean really, that's awfully glib. - Your last two sentences don't seem mutually exclusive, but having them together seems to imply they should be, which means I don't know what you are trying to say. Can you give an example of successful control at any rate?
- danmaz74 6y agoMaking some thoughts impossible by controlling language was a point in George Orwell's 1984.
- perl4ever 6y agoIt was referenced back up at the top. And 1984 has been part of my mental landscape for maybe a quarter century, so my opinion that reality is different has been calcified gradually over time.