Does Language Influence Thought ...

Culture & Society Forum

... or does thought influence language?

"If language influences thought, then our words are tools used to mold public opinion and stir the masses." Doublespeak = language that is designed to mislead, conceal, inflate, confuse and distort meaning.

Maybe I am just naive, but it just struck me as something to really consider - that language is a tool .used in this way. Do our thoughts not sway the words we choose? I guess it is like "the chicken and the egg" theory. The more I think about this, I'm thinking that language as a tool to manipulate is an unconscious act for many - if not all - people. Is it then a conscious act to choose words that will not strongly influence, lead or manipulate others?

We develop the words we need to express matters that concern us while at the same time the words we know develop the thoughts we think. It is a well known fact that many languages have different vocabularies. In other words, what you can describe in some languages might not be describable in other languages. Naturally that is going to mean that people with a word for specific thought are going to have an easier time thinking about a thought. Studies done have shown that when people have the vocabulary to complain about a specific problem they are more likely to do it.
The question is, of course, is that cultural? Many asian cultures, for instance, lack the words for individuality that western cultures have developed, not surprisingly, eastern cultures have a less developed sense of the individual and the individual is considered more often from a social point of view (in terms of family and friends). Yet again the question remains does their language lack the words because they simply haven't thought about them or have they not thought about it because they lack the words.
The phrase double speak comes from the book 1984 (George Orwell 1948) in which there are far more examples of such ideas. For instance 'blackwhite' which, when used for a friend means completely faithful and willing to see a lie for the truth in order to maintain the situation as it is. When used for an enemy it means that they are fanatical and completely brain washed into believing something that is absolutly not true to the extent where they do harm to their society by believing it. One word, two meanings.
I believe that language is largely involved in conditioning us to think the way we do. It is part of our upbringing and schools our minds, right from the begining, to think in a specific way. When a child is young they are being trained, by their parents, to accept the norms and ideals of a society they live in by being taught language. Even humour becomes influenced by the language that you are exposed to (just look at the different types of humour that are enjoyed all over the world). I think that your question above is not a chicken or the egg question but should be answered with 'both'. Language both influences what we think and what we think influences language. When we are young it funnels our thought and then when we grow older we help create the new words to deal with the new thoughts that we have had.
One last interesting point, in Chinese writing it is not possible to create new words unless the government approves the new word (you can have a sound for it but you can't have a written word for it, a language institute has to approve a specific character for it. Naturally this causes language to develop slower. The question then becomes, does that mean new thoughts are more difficult to formulate? Might that be a reason why the west believes that chinese culture does not have a lot to show for itself after 5000 years of existence? Or is this all nonsense and am I asking the wrong questions?

hmmm...... interesting idea. Very broad and confusing..... but interesting.


"Language both influences what we think and what we think influences language."

I agree. It goes both ways. Language does influence how we think. In my first language there is no word for boredom. But as I became fluent in English, I started to complain "I'm bored" a lot. And, I'm pretty sure I've never felt bored before. Or perhaps I did and I never paid attention to it and just found something better to do with my time, because I didnt realize thats a valid feeling. Does that make any sense??

I think thought influences language but primarily the colloquial. Because lets face it, ordinary people think in words that they know and are comfortable with. I think thats why we have expressions like "wassup?" and "chill out". If an induvidual doesnt have a word or expression for what they feel, they just go ahead and invent some.

Well here anybody can speak their mind can't they??

well for me language has been the biggest barrier in my life [sort of] many would just laugh at the thought that i dont even know the complete alphabets of my own native tongue, didn't have much education but just don't know can only express my true feelings and emotions in only english, sometimes its hard but most of the times, it just comes freely , i agree with tangybutsweet that when we just don't know the words about an emotion we just simply don't know if we had it or not. well about schmiggens thoughtful pondering , i have heard that [sorry for bluntly putting this] blind kids or person can only dream or feel emotions with voices they hear and imagine things with the touch and heat or cold they feel , i really do think its understandable how can they see with their others senses, they should be respected for that [envied??] , i think i am going off topic here, the point is that language definately influence a person emotions and way of talking and expressing himself, i know i couldn't ever do that before, but now i can, just don't know has it done me any good or made me worse as a person??
well somebody here know me better then i do myself..only time might tell has it done me good or not?? *deep sigh*