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Can you think without words? Can you imagine how it feels to swim, something you might have done, and extend it to fly like a bird? Can you read a novel and feel emotions about characters that don't exist beyond text descriptions of their actions? Language is a way to encode thought. It's not what thoughts are made of.


> Language is a way to encode thought. It's not what thoughts are made of.

What about people who think verbally and don't have a "mind's eye"? In that case, thoughts and their encoding might be closer to 1:1.


Are images and words the only way to think? Are these boundaries even fundamental or are they arbitrary? How does a blind deaf person think? Do you ever think in terms of sensations or movements? Can you remember a roller coaster ride, a car trip? Can you think of a taste?

I find hard to conceive of people who can think only in terms of language.




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