Language and Reality

How do you think? Does it hurt?

Most of us think in terms of language, although on occasion I can take an entirely visual walk through memory lane.

So if most of us think in terms of language, what does that mean? Well, the language you use will impact the way you see and interact with the world. By having a concept codified in language it reinforces the concept in our heads, creating a bias towards observing that concept.

Nostalgia is a great example of this phenomenon. At one point nostalgia was a diagnosed mental issue relating to extreme cases of homesickness. In recent times nostalgia has turned a corner. Now nostalgia is typically a fond remembrance of good times and has become a dominant internet trend and topic. There are many factors around its renaissance which I will not go into here, but the point remains. At one point in time nostalgia was linked with detrimental sentimentality whereas now it is typically a throwaway term for childhood memories or a “simpler” time.

This disconnect in language grows greater when we move outside of the “romance” languages. One may look on teamwork negatively in a ruggedly individualistic society while having a huge positive impression in a codependent society.

How do we come to understand a word? How do we come to lose touch with our sense impressions? Are you making the mistake of confusing the word with the underlying reality? What looks like an opium den to one person may look like a living room to another. Do I wear shoes in your house or not? Do I wear my hat inside the holy institution or outside?

We are all walking dictionaries with different entries. Are you sure that is a chair you are sitting on?

.

.

.

Don’t forget. All is maybe. But this might be a funner existence.