which way of knowing is most important? language, perception, reason or emotions??

Question

Some experts (athletes, dancers, musicians, visual arts, cabinet makers, lab technicians, mechanics, surgeons .etc. ) may have acquired knowledge that is difficult to describe in words. Does this mean that other Ways of Knowing (emotion, reason, and perception) play a more important role than language in knowing how to do something?

Answer 1

I could imagine a world without language, it would be primitive.
I could imagine a world without reason, it would be chaotic.
I could imagine a world without emotions, it would be cruel.

A world without perception would be... completely empty!

Answer 2

Language (i.e., communication) is basically an attempt to transfer an experience/perception from one person to another.

You can never communicate the "entire thing" as you have perceived it, it is always limited by the language you are using, as well as the differences between the communicator and the receiver.

For one example of language limitations, the Greeks had many words for different types of "love," so they could be more specific -- while English just uses the one word and we have to add a bunch of adjectives to clarify, or people might misunderstand.

For examples of differences, well, how often are we renegotiating a relationship after we say or do something the other person takes another way than we intended? Sometimes this clash can be predicted, if one person is very logical while another is very emotional, for example -- the two will perceive and evaluate the same event with different eyes. Racial tension is another such topic -- a particular background and social context leads people to reach very different interpretations of the same historical events. So communication again has limitations.

Finally, there are things that we just do not REALLY understand until we experience them. Especially when we examine philosophy, religion, life wisdom, etc., we are told something is "right" and that we need to behave a certain way to avoid trouble; but even when we obey, often we still do not "get it" and end up doing it with the wrong attitude or don't know how to apply the knowledge. After we experience the truth, we suddenly understand it much more deeply and can use the knowledge in other areas of our lives.

This "life experience" includes our reason, our emotions, and our perception, among other things -- everything we might use to gather and process information.

I would hesitate to call one way of knowing more important than another. I think we learn by sharing our experiences and ideas with others (i.e., language); but often, if we are not similar to the person relaying the information or have not reached the same maturity level, we have to experience the knowledge using the other methods so that we really "get it."

Still, other people can act as "signposts" (whether through vocal conversation or through books they might have written centuries ago) to point us in directions we might not have considered on our own, so I still see language as *very* very valuable.

Answer 3

even though language is the key to understanding, truly understanding someone or something comes from your perception and the perception of the other people involved. Emotion is something that everyone can understand and usually so is reason, but perception is the only way that people can truly understand each other. To know someone else's perception of things is a great thing.

Answer 4

The knowledge you speak of in the your question isn't knowledge per se, but a manner of thinking. For example, a novice dancer may think of a chasse in terms of "step here, then here, then here" while for an experienced dancer it's nothing but a single collective thought "chasse". To answer your question, the best way of knowing is experience, how you gain that experience is not really essential.

The reason the "knowledge" of the experts is difficult to convey is because of the limitations of language. For example, how do you describe the color red to someone who's color blind, or ice to someone who's never experienced anything colder than 60 degrees fahrenheit?

Answer 5

"Knowing how" is something of a misnomer in this case. A pianist isn't someone who *knows how* to play the piano; it's someone who *can* play the piano – that is, who has the relevant skills. Many of the specialties you describe are matters of skill more than knowledge. I can describe what a dancer does; I can perceive it; I can analyze it; I can respond emotionally; but I still can't do it myself, because I lack the skill. Skill is largely a matter of habituation, not knowledge. That's why "practice makes perfect."

Answer 6

People learn things in different ways. Some people need to read something new, others need a hands-on experience in order to grasp it. It kind of depends upon your makeup, as to what combination of learning styles works best for you.

Answer 7

Words are only an expression of all the other things you described. Yes those other things are more important, words are a tool we use and nothing more.

Answer 8

Perception plays a huge part.

Answer 9

i think either reason or emotion