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Hey, looks like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapir-Whorf_hypothesis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapir-Whorf_hypothesis has finally been proven. Joking :-)

• Tainnor 3y ago
  The Sapir-Whorf hypotheses remains contested. IMHO everyone who isn't completely clueless has to agree that the strong version of SW is without merit (language doesn't seem to impose hard limits on our thinking), but those who have seen the evidence (e.g. in the field of spatial recognition) would also be hard pressed to deny that linguistic features do mirror cultural practices and points of view. Of course then the argument is whether the culture determines the language or the language determines the culture, but I find that a silly debate: clearly the two influence other in turn, shifts in culture will eventually be manifested in language but language is a very efficient medium to transmit habitual thinking patterns too.
  • godelski 3y ago
    Well most people think in words, so very clearly they should have influence on the way we think. Nearly all of us have thought aloud or produced thoughts while thinking. But some 1 in 5 or 1 in 4 people do not have inner speech. It would be hard to argue that speech dictates thoughts if one does not think in words (but this does not exclude influence). As far as I'm aware, the question isn't about if the weak SW exists, but how much influence language exerts on thoughts. I'd be surprised if it was close to zero but I would also be surprised if it was above 50% (whatever percent means here).