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by solipsism 1788 days ago
I'm multilingual. Growing up, friends asked me which language I think in. The answer is "neither". I can produce sentences in my brain in either language if I want, but it's strange to me that anyone would feel that thoughts are in any particular language.

I would feel incredibly limited if all my thoughts had to be synthesized into a language before they could be acted on. In fact, i often struggle to find words to express ideas that I can perfectly think about.
2 comments
naasking 1788 days ago
> it's strange to me that anyone would feel that thoughts are in any particular language.

Not all thoughts, but many are. They've done studies where they've tested people's critical thinking and asked that they use their native tongue, and a second language in which they're fluent.

Turns out you're more rational and dispassionate when thinking in a second language, where in your native language you engage more of your emotional centres and are more likely to fall prey to common cognitive biases.

Obviously not all thoughts or thinking need to be expressed this way, but language can be a tool to organize and direct thought.

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robocat 1787 days ago
Surely that is dependent on the language?

I loved learning Spanish because I found myself using a more emotional style of talking (paralinguistics).

And watching an Italian friend who had English as a second language, it was weird to see them be gesturally and vocally much more boring when speaking English (I think picking up on the more dry language usage here in NZ).

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naasking 1787 days ago
I don't think it's so much about how you express yourself, as much as it is about how you have more deeply rooted associations with words and phrases in your native tongue.

On Language Processing Shaping Decision Making, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/096372141668026...

Emotionality Differences Between a Native and Foreign Language: Implications for Everyday Life, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0963721414566268

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lukasb 1788 days ago
"In fact, i often struggle to find words to express ideas that I can perfectly think about."

Same. I'm curious about what's happening here - sometimes visual thinking, sometimes kinesthetic, maybe a mix?

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