The Limits of My Language
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” — Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico‑PhilosophicusI often think about this. It does seem plausible that people who speak and read different languages experience their lives in ways that may be materially different than I do my own. This seems to imply that our conversance with our language affects the way we think.
But I wonder if this is simply a frailty of the Western world. Do those who achieved Zen Buddhist enlightenment mentally pronounce each word of their thoughts, like I do my own? I doubt it.
I used to know a polyglot who told me that when she travelled, it would take her a couple of days before she started to dream in the local language. That’s food for thought, isn’t it?
A reader notes: He has no plan — for anything, except making money and trying to hold onto power.
Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, wanted his masterpiece to serve as a philosophic direction for humankind, teaching intellectual curiosity, tolerance, and compassion.
To be a Trump supporter in today’s world, you have to live in a dream world, where facts have long ceased to matter.
I can’t swear that the data at left is accurate, but it certainly rings true based on the considerable number of Europeans I meet each month. They tend to disapprove of lawlessness, stupidity, and wars that are unnecessary and illegal.
As shown at left, the ancient Roman stoic philosopher Seneca had a viewpoint on religion that is shared 100% by modern atheists.
Do you think this will change American lives for the better? If so, how?
What does the most affluent state in America need in its next governor? Probably not a Trump supporter.
I can’t swear that the content of the meme here is accurate; in fact, most affluent Scandinavians I run across admit that they pay higher taxes than Americans.
When I was a boy, growing up in the 1960s, the United States was certainly not a nation of assholes. We valued personal liberty, which meant the freedom to say and think and do anything we wanted, and to do anything we wanted as long as we weren’t hurting anyone. This is what it meant to be an American.
