Debate: The language barrier

Is thinking tied to language

when i think of something i must of thought of the question first then translated it to language before consciously knowing what the question is

i seem to then get tied up in the language side which is binding

could different languages be better for problems

like now i know what i mean but cannot seem to make any sense typing it in to this computer

does anyone know what i am going on about

is there a another way of thinking without it

I fully understand what your getting at Jonny...and yes there are lots of ways to express thoughts and feelings. Many use jargon or flowery language to make them seem more intelligent than they probably are. I believe the best way of expressing yourself is to remain who you are at all times regardless. say what you mean and dont be afraid to use dilect in language as dilect is a very poetic speach. Many have used dilect as a secret langauge especially during wars. There is also body language where you can know what someone is thinking if you connect at the right moment. The best language is sometimes appreciated more in actions than words. Speak up and dont be afraid and I say that as many try to intimidate using such snobbery where language is concerned.

Putting feelings and first thoughts into words is difficult, first I have to interprete my emotions/first thoughts. Often there are no real words to express. What I write and speak, these are my second thoughts, because I've needed to interprete into the language we all use. It's similar to searching to speak in French when you aren't proficient, sometimes it doesn't come across as it did in your head.

Most people speak without thinking first

and a lot of people prefer that.

Accuracy in thought and expression can be very dry.

I'd like to be good at chemistry but not enough to bother

Johnny,

I am an engineer by trade. Often, to understand a problem, I need to visualise it. "See" the problem or situation in my head. Words are not the only conduit of thought. Dreams (especially daydreams) are a good example: A dream (especially mine) uses pictures, sensations, to tell the story. The experience, and not the words, tell the story, convey the thought. Mathematicians use a very different language to the one that I type in here.

So no, I don't think that thinking is tied to language. It is often the method we use to store and pass on thoughts, and it can impose restrictions here, by not conveying the meaning of the original thought to someone else. The someone else will always associate the thought with the words used to pass them on, and some of the thought may be lost.

Many people I have spoken to mentioned that the movie of Lord Of The Rings Trilogy very closely matched the world they created in their head when they read the book. This is the rare talent of the good writer - to pass on their thoughts as accurately as possible.

To get around the limitations of language, many people make up their own "jargon", or employ language in new ways. Dickens is usually pointed out as one of the greats for using language in new ways to paint mental pictures of his stories.

I hope I have been of some help!

Andrew J Cochran

Language is a physical expression of thought. If you can't express what you think, try a different route. Maybe you could think of yourself in the third person and narrate to yourself.