Sunday, June 27, 2010

Understand reality through language

This post main object is for people to realise that there is stuff out there that doesn't match our reality because the language we use cannot describe it properly. The meanings of words we use have been changed or we don't have the words to describe it.

There was a quote in my first C++ book I purchased by Bjarne Stroustrup which was
Language defines the way you think and what you can think about

I really believe this quote is true and the power behind the quote is being used to control the way people think and what they can think about.

My main reason I really believe in the quote is the url for this blog. My favourite word in the English Language is why but in the Fijian Language there is no word for why but the word that is now being used for why, baleta means because. What would be the affect of understanding of the environment would if you didn't have the world why in your vocabulary only because.

What made write about this topic is Noam Chomsky's has come into my radar as being a person who has woken up and has a good understanding of the reality of the times we live in. So I was not suprised that I read that his profession is of a linguist. A person who understands the affect of language on a society, should have a better chance of seeing the reality of whats happening in a society. Below is a quote from him on language
Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation.
So its possible that we are able to understand more of whats actually happening to us by first questioning the current meanings of terms we are using and try and increase the vocabulary of a our language to increase our understanding of what we can think about.

In terms of the way you think it would be interesting to correlate the main terms that a person used in everyday life to their actual opinions, motivations and understanding of their reality.

If we put this example in physical terms, how can we build something if we don't have a plan or tools to build it. What will be built will be a representation based on our current technology which may be significantly different to what should be built.

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