Language - Is it to blame for lack of deeper thought?

Question

To know two languages properly, like you have lived in another country for 5 years or more and really gone into the nations culture deeply. You will find new perceptions, concepts of morality, justice, God etc... will come to you. Like math is a language it opens up our mind to more concept so therefore is it possible that language could be to blame for why some cultures are not as advanced as others? English is highly accurate and flexible but others like Italian are highly emotional. The English excel at scientific and business thought, Italians excel in art, culture music. Without language we cannot form concept and without concept we cannot form language. Yet all thinking is the grouping, catagorising and analysis of concept. So is language to blame? What do you think?

Answer 1

i agree that language definetely does broaden our way of thinking we can never really dissect a topic properly without having various translations my biggest example of this is understanding the bible

Answer 2

Actually, this isn't a new concept.

Since it's late, I'm not going to be able to give this the thorough response it deserves but certainly psychologists and philosophers have looked at the limiting aspects of language for some time. Basically, language provides a framework for thought, but it also tends to create a limit on what and how one can think, because of the construct of the language.

For those of us who are truly bilingual or multilingual, I think this concept is a little more obvious, because we can see the limitations of one language. English, for example, is very utilitarian, but is not so good at describing anything in great detail. German is excellent for abstract concepts, etc. No one language is ideal for all purposes.

Some linguists believe that there is an innate human need for "universal grammar" and that if there were no language, we would create it. This, of course, is controversial, and since it's been years since I've studied linguistics and/or psycholinguistics in any depth myself I'm not going to take a strong stance. However, I think there is a strong need in humans to communicate. We do have the need to, as you say, group, catagorize, and analyze concepts, and then communicate these concepts to others constantly.

Is language to blame? Yes and no. You have a two pronged question. You are asking why some cultures are not as advanced as others. This is a judgment assessment. You seem to be judging technological advancement as the only advancement, when one could say that Australian and Native American aborigines were far more spiritually advanced than the Europeans who colonized them afterwards. Are we looking at technology here? If we are looking at technology, then perhaps it is language, but it could easily be cultural expectations which arise regardless of language.

The initial portion of the question, is language to blame for lack of deeper thought? My answer is yes and no. I agree with your thesis that language shapes the mind, but fundamentally speaking, deep thinking isn't always necessary in day-to-day life. It can be beneficial for people, certainly, but most people don't need to be living with their perception turned on 100% all the time.

Psychologically, we need to be able to tune out most of the input we receive in our daily lives, all of the traffic noises we hear, all of the peripheral movement we see, etc. We have to sense it, analyze it, catagorize it, group it, then shove it away into the right mental slot and go, all within a few micromilliseconds. We do this on and on throughout our day, processing data we don't even think about. You wouldn't think that this uses the language centers of our brain, but it does, because we see something, identify it as a "bird" and know that it's harmless, and move on. We see a "car" and move out of its path, etc. So, for most of us, most of the time, deep thinking: Not needed, not wanted, not had.

Now, when we want deep thinking, can language be a limiting factor? Absolutely. As someone who is multilingual, I can tell you this: When I have to do any kind of intense thinking, the first thing that happens is the language barriers tend to break down. Because I was raised in a true bilingual household (both languages spoken), I have always had a third language in my head that's a hybrid of my parent languages. Often when I write for academia, I have to write very abstract papers, and have to dig for words. Since I write for psychology, many times these words are German (a lot of psychology is German anyway), but I find I pepper in words of French, or Japanese, Spanish, Latin, whatever word I can find that will describe what I need. Sometimes, I end up making up words until I can find a proper word, rather than block the flow of writing.

Answer 3

No, others not having a tolerance for non-English speakers and non-English speakers not doing what everyone has to do to exceed is why they do not advaced on like the others.

How many English speaking bums run the streets?

How many non-English peoples have degrees and are doing well for them selves? Shoot we get our mathematical ideas from other countries. They are teaching us! Catching up with us and might one day take over!

When you called your bank did you have to wait before they offered services in English? Maby Americans should start learning some spanish and russian.

Answer 4

Language is an expression of thought. The lack of thought is derived from a lack of character.

Answer 5

Language is bad as far as it takes energy away from the action.