How Language shapes the way we think

[DancesWithWife]

I watched a TED talk (TED stands for Technology, Education, Design) about language and it really provided insight into all the hard work that is put into different translations that are used to publish the Bible and Bible aids. The talk is only 15 minutes, but very insightful. The opening statement of the TED talk:

 

"There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world -- and they all have different sounds, vocabularies and structures. But do they shape the way we think? Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky shares examples of language -- from an Aboriginal community in Australia that uses cardinal directions instead of left and right to the multiple words for blue in Russian -- that suggest the answer is a resounding yes. "The beauty of linguistic diversity is that it reveals to us just how ingenious and how flexible the human mind is," Boroditsky says. "Human minds have invented not one cognitive universe, but 7,000." 

 

The direct link also has a transcript. I am also providing the youtube link.

 

 

 

 

https://www.ted.com/dubbing/lera_boroditsky_how_language_shapes_the_way_we_think&utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

[Dages]

That's not going to be convenient with the resurrected.

Jehovah will have to do a big miracle

[DancesWithWife]

1 minute ago, Dages said:

Jehovah will have to do a big miracle

He confused the languages no problem going back!

[Dages]

As the video explained, it's not only about language, it's about how we see the world.

[DancesWithWife]

8 minutes ago, Dages said:

As the video explained, it's not only about language, it's about how we see the world.

Good point, I forgot about that. It's going to be interesting.

[Dages]

Maybe Jehovah will resurrect these people later so that we can have time to adapt

[Tronora]

Maybe how the people saw the world back then, decided which language they ended up speaking? That Jehovah somehow used their 'preferences', to differentiate ... ? It would be exciting and interesting to find out whether it was completely random, or built on some similarities.

[trottigy]

This is why I have always believed with perfect minds given us in the New World that we will all have to LEARN the "perfect language" that we will use.

 

This fits better in my mind then just some instantaneous change from numerous languages and cultures to suddenly just one,. AND how will we be able to read those old languages if we no longer have those languages available to us. I am looking forward to some SERIOUS reading of OLD literature in many languages.

[Dustparticle]

 

This is weird. I thought the other day ago that friends on this site have different countries and languages and do think different from one another. No matter what, we still can get along.

[JennyM]

The Asian culture  seems to be so respectful. We cant say no to a person directly. It has to be indirect. 

Western culture especially has direct communication which overwhelms me at first but now Im in between west and asian culture. 

 

 

Individualism thinking is in the west. But here in Asia, we have to consider what other people think before making a decision, host a wedding and so on. Its tiring sometimes. So when a country person go to a city that no one knows him/her, he/she is happier to do what he wants because the neighbors wont be looking at his/her. 

 

[Dustparticle]

3 hours ago, JennyM said:

The Asian culture  seems to be so respectful. We cant say no to a person directly. It has to be indirect. 

Western culture especially has direct communication which overwhelms me at first but now Im in between west and asian culture. 

 

 

Individualism thinking is in the west. But here in Asia, we have to consider what other people think before making a decision, host a wedding and so on. Its tiring sometimes. So when a country person go to a city that no one knows him/her, he/she is happier to do what he wants because the neighbors wont be looking at his/her. 

 

 Believe me sis, recently a sister moved into my congregation and told our car group why she moved to our congregation for some odd reason. I talk to an elder about this to give him a warning.  I told him that I kept my mouth shut about this matter. He told me, that was a good idea. 
 

 For at least 15 years,  have learn to keep my mouth shut to avoid arguments among  my dear brothers and family too. Maybe, that is the reason I’m still alive. No matter where we live at, we need to be careful what we say or do to avoid situations that leads to disaster. My 2 cents sis.