Wen

Linguistics theories debunked (partially)

Can learning a new language really change the way you see the world?

Of course this is dependent on what you mean by perception - in my case it has always changed my perception - mainly because effective communication with people who are different from me is invariably enlightening. I couldn't comment on mental mechanics though. But a good short article.

https://www.deadlanguagesociety.com/p/sapir-whorf-worst-idea-in-linguistics

#Language #Perception #Values #Insight #Linguistics

Why the worst idea in linguistics won’t die

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is mostly wrong

Dead Language Society
Feb 25 at 1:25pmWeb
Show threadHighlandLawyer4d ago
@Wen
I think it is a click-bait article. The "weak Sapir-Whorf" theory has been repeatedly confirmed in that using a language which encodes certain concepts makes it easier to work with those concepts in that language. That has been shown using colours, directions, etc.
There are also the studies that working on topics in a non-native language enables one to more easily emotionally distance oneself from them.
So yes, new languages can in themselves affect how one percieves the world to a degree
Show threadWen4d ago
@HighlandLawyer He has a blog to fill 🤣- but there is some genuinely interesting stuff on it
Show threadleah & flutters & nose, oh my!4d ago

@HighlandLawyer@mastodon.social it's worse than that, it's a subscription-bait article. the only way to read it in full is to sign up to Colin Gorrie's newsletter.

hard pass.

Show threadElectropict4d ago

@Wen

Given that individual words can change the way you perceive the world -- and they can, from experience -- it is impossible to believe that an entire language could not have a greater effect. But I expect it depends what your original state of perception was when you encountered the word or language. One person's mind-expansion is someone else's everyday reality, but there's a special word waiting out there for everyone.