How language shapes the way we think | Lera Boroditsky | TED

Summary

The video script explores the profound impact of language on human cognition. It illustrates how different languages can shape our perception of space, time, number, color, and even our sense of blame and punishment. The speaker, through various examples, including the Kuuk Thaayorre people's cardinal direction-based language and the Russian language's distinction between light and dark blue, demonstrates how linguistic diversity reveals the flexibility and ingenuity of the human mind. The talk also highlights the importance of preserving linguistic diversity, as we stand to lose about half of the world's languages in the next century. The speaker emphasizes that our current understanding of the human mind is largely based on a narrow demographic, urging for a more inclusive approach in scientific research.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ Language is a powerful tool that allows humans to transmit complex thoughts to one another through speech.
• 🌐 There are approximately 7,000 languages worldwide, each with unique sounds, vocabularies, and structures.
• 🤔 The question of whether language shapes thought has been debated for centuries, with recent scientific research providing new insights.
• 🧭 The Kuuk Thaayorre people of Australia use cardinal directions instead of 'left' and 'right,' which influences their spatial orientation.
• ⏳ Different languages can influence how people perceive time, as demonstrated by the Kuuk Thaayorre's association of time with the landscape rather than the body.
• 🐧 Some languages lack exact number words, which can affect a person's ability to count and keep track of quantities.
• 🌈 Language can affect color perception; for example, Russian speakers differentiate between light and dark blue more quickly due to distinct linguistic terms.
• 🧠 Brain activity varies between language speakers when perceiving colors, indicating that language can influence cognitive processing.
• 💭 Grammatical gender in languages can influence how speakers perceive and describe objects, as seen in the descriptions of bridges by German and Spanish speakers.
• 📚 Language structures can shape memory and reasoning about events, with implications for eyewitness testimony and the assignment of blame.
• 🌍 Linguistic diversity reveals the ingeniousness and flexibility of the human mind, with each language offering a unique cognitive universe.
• ⏰ The loss of linguistic diversity is a significant concern, as it represents a loss of cognitive variety and a narrowing of our understanding of the human mind.

Q & A

How does language enable humans to communicate complex thoughts?

Language enables humans to communicate complex thoughts by transforming sounds made by the mouth during exhalation into air vibrations, which travel to the listener's eardrums and are then interpreted by the brain into thoughts.

What is the impact of linguistic diversity on the human mind?

Linguistic diversity reveals the ingenious and flexible nature of the human mind, suggesting that there are as many cognitive universes as there are languages, each shaping the way its speakers think.

How does the Kuuk Thaayorre language influence its speakers' sense of direction?

The Kuuk Thaayorre language, which uses cardinal directions instead of 'left' and 'right,' helps its speakers maintain a strong sense of direction, with even young children being able to accurately identify and use directions in everyday communication.

In what way does the Kuuk Thaayorre language approach the concept of time?

The Kuuk Thaayorre language approaches the concept of time by associating it with the landscape rather than the body. This means that the direction of time changes based on the speaker's orientation to the cardinal directions.

How do some languages without exact number words affect their speakers' ability to count?

Speakers of languages without exact number words often do not count and have difficulty keeping track of exact quantities, which can impact their numerical and mathematical abilities.

What is the difference in color perception between speakers of languages that have a single word for blue and those that differentiate between light and dark blue?

Speakers of languages that differentiate between light and dark blue, such as Russian, are faster at perceiving the difference between these colors and show a distinct brain reaction when colors shift across this linguistic boundary.

How does grammatical gender in languages affect speakers' perception of objects?

Grammatical gender can influence speakers' perception and description of objects. For example, German speakers, for whom the word for 'bridge' is grammatically feminine, are more likely to describe bridges with feminine words like 'beautiful' and 'elegant,' whereas Spanish speakers might use more masculine descriptors.

What is the impact of language on eyewitness memory and the assignment of blame?

Language can shape eyewitness memory and the assignment of blame by influencing what details are remembered. For instance, English speakers are more likely to remember who caused an accident because English requires the use of an active verb, whereas Spanish speakers might be more likely to remember that it was an accident.

How fast is the rate at which languages are disappearing, and what is the projected loss over the next hundred years?

Languages are disappearing at a rate of about one per week, and it is estimated that half of the world's languages will be gone in the next hundred years.

What is the current bias in scientific studies of the human mind and brain?

The current bias in scientific studies of the human mind and brain is that they are largely based on research involving American English-speaking undergraduates at universities, which excludes a vast majority of humans and does not account for the diversity of linguistic and cognitive experiences.

What is the significance of understanding how language shapes thought in our daily lives?

Understanding how language shapes thought is significant because it allows individuals to question their own thought processes, explore different ways of thinking, and consider the types of thoughts they wish to create or communicate.