Language is primarily a tool for communication rather than thought [pdf]

Re:Language is primarily a tool for communication rather tha... by verghese on Saturday June 22, 2024 @01:24AM (#40756516)

Reminds me of the the quote from Albert Einstein: "I very rarely think in words at all. A thought comes, and I may try to express it in words afterwards."

Language is a higher level abstraction for the brain. Sort of like a higher level programming language vs assembly or binary.

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Re:Language is primarily a tool for communication rather tha... by kevinventullo on Saturday June 22, 2024 @05:11AM (#40757573)

I think of language more as a lossy serialization format for thoughts.

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Re:Language is primarily a tool for communication rather tha... by dabei on Saturday June 22, 2024 @03:15PM (#40761384)

Agree, think about it as scribbles we make on the scratch pad when thinking through a challenging math question. It mostly serve as input to our ongoing thinking process, rather than persistence of thoughts.

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Re:Language is primarily a tool for communication rather tha... by BurningFrog on Saturday June 22, 2024 @11:56AM (#40759948)

Not claiming to be like Einstein in other ways, but I could say the same.

Sometimes people ask me if I think in English or my native language. I'm tempted to say "mostly not".

BTW, loose speculation: Maybe being bilingual does "free" the brain from word thinking.

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