Stuff and Paraphenalia
1. In several classes I took in college (it feels ineffably weird to use the past tense there) the connection between language and thought was discussed at great length. Most people couldn't fathom how a human could think without language; one example being provided by deaf Nicaraguans before the development of Nicaraguan Sign Language. How did they think? What did they think? What was their interior life like?
I always suspected thought was perfectly possible without language. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, while intriguing and seductive (and not entirely related to the topic at hand, but it's always good name-dropping to throw in for good measure), never really had me convinced. But I could never think of a solid refutation for these people's skepticism.
Now (too late to do any good, but we'll pretend it's relevant) I've found one. I give you Temple Grandin. A published and successful Ph.D. who "happens to be" autistic (actually, I think she's diagnosed with Asperger's, but to the layman 'autistic' is close enough). She describes how she, and many autistic individuals, find language counterintuitive and therefore do not use it when perceiving, processing, and interpreting the world. The substitute for words in the thought process? Pictures. Purely visual thought. Difficult to grasp for us native and enthusiastic language-users, but entirely plausible (and effective) once you give it some thought.
2. Professional authors writing bad fiction on purpose. Pretty funny.
3. Taking crochet to new (sublimely surreal) heights.
4. Finally, salvation!
I always suspected thought was perfectly possible without language. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, while intriguing and seductive (and not entirely related to the topic at hand, but it's always good name-dropping to throw in for good measure), never really had me convinced. But I could never think of a solid refutation for these people's skepticism.
Now (too late to do any good, but we'll pretend it's relevant) I've found one. I give you Temple Grandin. A published and successful Ph.D. who "happens to be" autistic (actually, I think she's diagnosed with Asperger's, but to the layman 'autistic' is close enough). She describes how she, and many autistic individuals, find language counterintuitive and therefore do not use it when perceiving, processing, and interpreting the world. The substitute for words in the thought process? Pictures. Purely visual thought. Difficult to grasp for us native and enthusiastic language-users, but entirely plausible (and effective) once you give it some thought.
2. Professional authors writing bad fiction on purpose. Pretty funny.
3. Taking crochet to new (sublimely surreal) heights.
4. Finally, salvation!
