Regarding possible influences on thought Essay Example for Free

Regarding possible influences on thought Essay There is an undeniable connection between thought and language. And as thought is so crucial to our knowledge, a study of our language itself is necessary. This essay examines how our language might affect our thought. In doing so, I shall examine the question, what is language?.  So, what is language? Etymologists, those who study language (in how it develops and changes), generally agree that language first started developing thirty thousand to a hundred and fifty thousand years ago. It began when, by an evolutionary chance, the oesophagus moved in human beings. This did two things: firstly it made them very prone to choking (this is often taken as proof that the ability to speak is innate in human beings for if benefits of speech were not developed quickly this should have died out almost immediately in accordance with the theory of evolution) and secondly it dramatically increased the range of sounds they could produce orally. It is thought that the natural calls animals make shrieks of alarm to show danger etc developed and became more complex to form a very basic language. Soon, these developed connotations: variations of alarm calls could be used to convey fear, pain or sadness whilst variations of triumphant calls could be used to show happiness, safety or the location of food. Imitations of the sounds things made also developed: a stream could be indicated by a gurgle, wind by a whoosh and so on. Examples of these two phenomenons continue: laughter and crying is pretty universal in babies whilst young children often refer to police cars as whah whah in an imitation of their sound. Language was further developed, reflecting the need to talk about the speakers environment. A commonly quoted example of this is that the Inuit have twenty words for snow. Not only is this debateable Inuit nouns are formed as in German, where nouns are tacked onto each other but also, English has at least fifty! However, a better example would be the aborigines of Tasmania who have a separate word for every kind of native tree, over two hundred in total, but do not have a word for tree. This is because in their environment, all the trees which surround them appear to be drastically different. It is also said (perhaps somewhat dubiously) that Arabic has approximately six thousand words for camels and camel-equipment. T is doubtless that language is affected in its evolution by our surroundings and our need to communicate about them. The main problems with language can be its vagueness and also the fact that it evolves according to our needs. Language is very vague and words can have myriads of meanings. In the English language, the word set has fifty eight non-obsolete uses as a noun, one hundred and twenty eight as a verb and ten as a participial adjective. The Oxford English Dictionary uses sixty thousand words, including abbreviations and symbols, to define it and set is by no means alone. The fact that language reflects its environment means that when someone has an original thought they often have to come up with an entirely new vocabulary to explain it. An example of this would be the concept of the big bang. When the idea originated, the language used to describe it was completely new and very few understood it. As the theory grew in popularity, its language was accepted into common usage. However, when the majority of the populace does not concern itself with that idea, the vocabulary become jargon, to be known only by experts. Language reflects or needs of it. Written language originated as logograms in the form of pictograms where to write house, one would draw a picture of a house. Soon these became ideograms where, as in language, associations where used e.g. a sun to represent heat. This is the basis of all languages and today can be seen in Chinese and Japanese, as well as the ancient hieroglyphs, Linear A and Linear B. Some languages went one step further, changing from logograms to phonograms. This resulted in syllabic or alphabetic symbols, where words were written using their sounds in spoken language. This was the first link between written and spoken language. Written language, in our society, is now completely dependant on spoken language so the two are often seen as synominous. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis argues that the nature of a particular language influences the habitual thoughts of its speaker. Different patterns of language would therefore lead to different patterns of thought. Thus this challenges that the world can be represented objectively, as language will influence its user. The most extreme supporters of this theory argue that thought is reliant on language and that therefore there can be no thought without language. The twentieth century Austrian philosopher, Wittgenstein says that, because of this, language hinders us. For example, when we say that we saw nobody on the road we have not actually seen nobody. More accurately, we did not see anyone on the road. Another twentieth century philosopher, a Rusiian named Vigotsky, would disagree with this. He held that language helps us to think. He says that the thought is ordered and is clarified by using language. However, a large number of people disagree with the extreme view that thought is impossible without language. Look, they say, at when we are lost for words or the words are on the tip of our tongue: we know what were thinking but cant say it. Another example would be that we can often imagine in our heads as an image something for example, the beginning of the universe but cant describe it. This theory states language is created by thought, although language may later by used as a means through which to think. Many etymologists would agree with this theory as it complies with their theory on how language develops: you see something, you think about it and then you develop language to convey these thoughts and to clarify them. So, our language is shaped by the world around us, and our thoughts are shaped by our language. So our thoughts are influenced, not just out of practicality, but empirically by our surroundings. For if we are not familiar with a concept or object or person then we are unlikely to have the language to describe it: and if we dont have the language then we are unlikely to be able to think about something properly, even if we wished to.

Buddhism: The Three Characteristics of Existence Essay -- essays resea

There are three characteristics of existence. This is an important part of the teaching of Buddha. The teaching of the three characteristics is part of what we might call the doctrinal contents of wisdom. In other words, when we talk about the knowledge and the understanding that is implied by wisdom, we have this teaching in mind. The three characteristics of existence that we have in mind are the characteristics of impermanence (Anitya), suffering (Duhkha) and not-self (Anatma). These three characteristics are always present in or are connected with existence, and they tell us about the nature of existence. They help us to know what to do with existence. What we learn to develop as a result of understanding the three characteristics is renunciation. Once we understand that existence is universally characterized by impermanence, suffering and not-self, we eliminate our attachment to existence. Once we eliminate our attachment to existence, we gain the threshold of Nirvana. This is the purpose that understanding the three characteristics serves. It removes attachment by removing delusions, the misunderstanding that existence is permanent, is pleasant and has something to do with the self. This is why understanding the three characteristics is part of the contents of wisdom. The first of the three characteristics of existence is the characteristic of impermanence (Anitya). If we look at our own personality, we will find that our bodies are impermanent. They are subject to constant change. We grow thin. We grow old and grey, our teeth fall out, and our hair falls out. Similarly, our mental states are impermanent. At one moment we are happy, and at another moment we are sad. As infants, we hardly understand anything. As adults, in the prime of life we understand a great deal more. And again in old age we lose the power of our mental faculties and become like infants. Our minds are also characterized by impermanence. This is true also of the things that we see around us. Everything we see around us is impermanent. Not one thing will last forever - not the office blocks, nor the temples, nor the rivers and islands, nor the mountain chains, nor the oceans. We know for a fact that all these natural phenomena, even those that appear to be the most durable, even the solar system itself will one day decline and become extinct. This process of constant change of all ... ...s understood, once interconnectedness becomes part of the way of seeing the world, then suffering arises from the personal concept of an independent self. Anatta is the view that there is no enduring self. All phenomena are conditioned-have a begging and end-so there is nothing to which they can attach. Suffering arises from the illusion that impermanent conditioned states are permanent and can be possessed by a self. Moreover, there is no self or soul, which carries on after death. Instead we are merely a collection of groups of grasping which are in a continual state of flux. Rebirth is possible only because our desires and volition drive us. Every living being, every living thing in this universe is subject to impermanency. The destruction of the whole universe is very certain. The body will be dissolved and no amount of sacrifice will save it. Looking to life we notice how it is changing, continually moving between contrasts. We notice rise and fall, success and failure, loss and gain, we meet honor and contempt, praise and blame, and we feel how our hearts respond to all that, with happiness and sorrow, delight and despair, disappointment and satisfaction, fear and hope.

Zebra Paradise

Zebra Paradise Think of your favorite place to be in your house. Where and why is it your favorite? The place I like to spend the most time in is my bedroom. It is where I go to study, watch television, and sleep. It is my favorite room because of the cozy atmosphere that I feel every time I step foot through the door. Not only is it a place to relax, but it is so much more. My room is a part of my personality, but most importantly, the place I grew up. In this descriptive essay, I will describe the basic things in my room, such as the color of my walls, bed, nightstand, dresser, and fan.I will depict the details of my closet and a few items that occupy the inside of it and tell about my television, my window, and everything surrounding them. When someone first steps foot into my room, he/she is usually captured by my bright colored walls. They are as pink as cotton candy, while only one wall is a shade darker than the other three. The door of my room is super white with a grey doork nob, which my sister claims to have â€Å"accidentally† broken the lock to. My queen size bed is located about four feet from my door, and it takes up most of the area.The frame is made out of black metal. My comforter accents my bed with black, white, and hot pink stripes. Two of my favorite animal prints are patterns that resemble a zebra and a leopard, which happens to be the design of my bedspread. I have silky, black sheets and a total of six pillows. They are soft and fluffy and never fail to provide me with a good night’s sleep. Right beside my bed, there is a black nightstand with a few of my belongings sitting on top of it, such as my pink alarm clock, a clear lamp, and my black remote.A white fan hangs from my ceiling that adds a very clean and sophisticated look to my room. My garbage can sits beside the door to the left, patiently waiting to collect trash. It is small, black, and filled with countless water bottles. Near my garbage can is my silver dresser where I keep my never-ending collection of shorts and T-shirts. The top of my dresser is cluttered with certain nicknacks that I use throughout the day, such as my wallet, perfume, fingernail polish, a jewelry box, picture frames, and sunglasses.I have three separate outlets scattered throughout my room. There is one beside my dresser, under my window, and behind my bed, which are all cream colored. The wooden floor right beneath my dresser is where I keep my preferred shoes. Paired side by side are my Sperries, neon yellow Nike’s, pink Shox, and my white cheerleading shoes. The focal point on the next wall is a double white closet. My Vera Bradley lanyard hangs from one knob, and on the other knob is a rosary. A red medal that I recently won for placing second at a powerlifting meet hangs next to it.Directly in front of my closet lies a stylish zebra rug which compliments my bedspread. My closet is not walk-in, so if someone were to open it, he/she would notice my winter clo thes and school uniforms organized at the top. My casual and dressy clothing hang on the bottom rack. On the floor beneath my clothes is where my shoes are kept. I attempt to stand them upward on a shoe rack, but most of them do not fit. I own boots, heels, wedges, sandals, tennis shoes, slippers, and flip-flops.The other half of my closet is crowded with jackets, swimwear, photo albums, blankets, and other useless junk that I continue to hoard for no reason. In the corner of another wall sits a black 32† Samsung television, housed on top of a wooden rolling cart that belonged to my grandfather. In the inside compartment of the rolling cart is a pack of index cards, an extra iPhone charger, and an iHome speaker. Behind my television is an enormous sketch pad and a poster that I drew for cheerleading camp during the summer of 2012.It reads, â€Å"Geaux Mustangs† with a red and black megaphone. My window is located on the same wall as my television. It is a single window with white blinds and a valence that identically matches my bedspread. If someone were to peer out of my window, he/she would immediately notice my dad’s gigantic offshore fishing boat. It is easy to hear rain falling at night or birds chirping in the morning because of the window. One would also view two conjoined cages outside where my sister and I keep our pet rabbits.I hope it is now possible to vividly visualize every inch of my room. The nickname of it is â€Å"zebra paradise† because I am obsessed with that type of animal print. Nearly all of my belongings are black and pink with zebra print. It does not matter what my room looks like because the memories that were captured inside of it will last a lifetime. My room is special to me because it is my own personal escape, or paradise. It is very important for everyone to have a place they feel comfortable and safe in. I would not trade in my room for the world. Zebra Paradise Zebra Paradise Think of your favorite place to be in your house. Where and why is it your favorite? The place I like to spend the most time in is my bedroom. It is where I go to study, watch television, and sleep. It is my favorite room because of the cozy atmosphere that I feel every time I step foot through the door. Not only is it a place to relax, but it is so much more. My room is a part of my personality, but most importantly, the place I grew up. In this descriptive essay, I will describe the basic things in my room, such as the color of my walls, bed, nightstand, dresser, and fan.I will depict the details of my closet and a few items that occupy the inside of it and tell about my television, my window, and everything surrounding them. When someone first steps foot into my room, he/she is usually captured by my bright colored walls. They are as pink as cotton candy, while only one wall is a shade darker than the other three. The door of my room is super white with a grey doork nob, which my sister claims to have â€Å"accidentally† broken the lock to. My queen size bed is located about four feet from my door, and it takes up most of the area.The frame is made out of black metal. My comforter accents my bed with black, white, and hot pink stripes. Two of my favorite animal prints are patterns that resemble a zebra and a leopard, which happens to be the design of my bedspread. I have silky, black sheets and a total of six pillows. They are soft and fluffy and never fail to provide me with a good night’s sleep. Right beside my bed, there is a black nightstand with a few of my belongings sitting on top of it, such as my pink alarm clock, a clear lamp, and my black remote.A white fan hangs from my ceiling that adds a very clean and sophisticated look to my room. My garbage can sits beside the door to the left, patiently waiting to collect trash. It is small, black, and filled with countless water bottles. Near my garbage can is my silver dresser where I keep my never-ending collection of shorts and T-shirts. The top of my dresser is cluttered with certain nicknacks that I use throughout the day, such as my wallet, perfume, fingernail polish, a jewelry box, picture frames, and sunglasses.I have three separate outlets scattered throughout my room. There is one beside my dresser, under my window, and behind my bed, which are all cream colored. The wooden floor right beneath my dresser is where I keep my preferred shoes. Paired side by side are my Sperries, neon yellow Nike’s, pink Shox, and my white cheerleading shoes. The focal point on the next wall is a double white closet. My Vera Bradley lanyard hangs from one knob, and on the other knob is a rosary. A red medal that I recently won for placing second at a powerlifting meet hangs next to it.Directly in front of my closet lies a stylish zebra rug which compliments my bedspread. My closet is not walk-in, so if someone were to open it, he/she would notice my winter clo thes and school uniforms organized at the top. My casual and dressy clothing hang on the bottom rack. On the floor beneath my clothes is where my shoes are kept. I attempt to stand them upward on a shoe rack, but most of them do not fit. I own boots, heels, wedges, sandals, tennis shoes, slippers, and flip-flops.The other half of my closet is crowded with jackets, swimwear, photo albums, blankets, and other useless junk that I continue to hoard for no reason. In the corner of another wall sits a black 32† Samsung television, housed on top of a wooden rolling cart that belonged to my grandfather. In the inside compartment of the rolling cart is a pack of index cards, an extra iPhone charger, and an iHome speaker. Behind my television is an enormous sketch pad and a poster that I drew for cheerleading camp during the summer of 2012.It reads, â€Å"Geaux Mustangs† with a red and black megaphone. My window is located on the same wall as my television. It is a single window with white blinds and a valence that identically matches my bedspread. If someone were to peer out of my window, he/she would immediately notice my dad’s gigantic offshore fishing boat. It is easy to hear rain falling at night or birds chirping in the morning because of the window. One would also view two conjoined cages outside where my sister and I keep our pet rabbits.I hope it is now possible to vividly visualize every inch of my room. The nickname of it is â€Å"zebra paradise† because I am obsessed with that type of animal print. Nearly all of my belongings are black and pink with zebra print. It does not matter what my room looks like because the memories that were captured inside of it will last a lifetime. My room is special to me because it is my own personal escape, or paradise. It is very important for everyone to have a place they feel comfortable and safe in. I would not trade in my room for the world.

Should The Decision Of Delivering A Child Or The Mother

Should the decision of delivering a child vaginally or cesarean reside in the physician or the mother? Afterall, it is the mother who will be enduring the pain of labor, possible complications, or postsurgical recovery. Many women who want c-sections believe it should be illegal to make someone go through labor. Is it ethically appropriate to perform a cesarean delivery on a maternal request at term in an otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy because of the risks of surgery (American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2013)? In labor and delivery, we never know when a baby may take a turn for the worse, so scheduling a safe c-section could fix that. These days many women are choosing to have surgery over the traditional†¦show more content†¦Still, in 1970, only 5% of infants were born via c-section (Lake, 2012). Nowadays, many women have many concerns of vaginally delivering their children. Many complications may result during a vaginal birth. Therefore, many women opt for a c-section. Most obstetricians disagree that women should not attempt vaginal delivery. This recent trend of electing a c-section is relating to patient’s greater access to information via the Internet and therefore sprouting questions about elective c-sections that obstetricians were not used to hearing in the past (ACOG, 2013). The Internet can be very informative and a reputable source of information, if the patient is searching the right websites. If not, the misunderstandings of risks and benefits of elective c-sections may become misinterpreted and need clarification from the obstetrician (ACOG, 2013). There are complications with both vaginal and c-section deliveries. Though, choosing a c-section has not shown and health benefits for women or infants who do not require the procedure (World Health Organization, 2015). C-sections have short and long term effects that can affect the health of a woman over the course of her life. Also, the cost comparison between both delivery methods can be a negative effect on the hospital. A typical, uncomplicated vaginal delivery generally costs $11,500, compared to the $20,000 a C-Section costs (Lake, 2012). Also, infants have a higher rate of