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Split personality. Liking the arts, especially opera, and hockey and Los Toros. I know, I know THAT one is non pc currently. But I can't help it saw some in Spain and got hooked, but good. But on the other hand right now opera and hockey are in the forefront!

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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Words are words aren't they?

Waiting for Hockey to start- meanwhile some thoughts on languages:


One theory " linguistic determinism" posits that our language determines how we see our world.
The other theory "linguistic relativism" proposes our language causes thoughts about it.
So we need to pose a question, can we think without use of language?
That depends on how we explain the meaning of thinking.

(This has a familiar ring to it?  Remember THAT famous expression: What is IS :-)!)

If we are claiming language connects culture with psychology, could that become the decisive way to clarify our feelings? Or identify our cultural up bringing?

An example of how people admonish, as in "Behave"

In English we say, be good.
Auf Deutsch sagt man, sei brav - but that could also mean be brave, be honest!
En Francais on dit, soyez sages - roughly translated it means, be wise!

And so it goes.
Be good, be honest, be wise,  above all be PATIENT :-)!
Hockey will be here sooner that you think!
Let's hope not THAT kind of hockey ;-)!
More clips to humor 'hockey deprived' impatient readers :-D

2 comments:

ICEVET said...

Let the REAL sport (Hockey) begin. IMO hockey has always demanded a unique set of skills from its player participants which surpasses that of any other major professional sport, including baseball, football, basketball, and soccer.

With regard to language v. thinking, some speak before they think (not good.....although they may not be able to control this tendency) while others think before they speak (generally good, so long as the pause is not excessive and the thoughts are reasoned and rational). "The Rational Optimist" by Matthew Ridley (2010) is a good review on the evolution of the ability of homo sapiens to think and reason.

artandhockey said...

Agreed on which is better! Think before speaking or vice versa!