I sometimes ponder whether the real purpose of language is to imprison the mind? Of course many say that language is a means of communication, social interaction, expression of feelings, ideas and attitudes, etc., etc.
However, I question whether language is the only way to communicate these things. For instance, animals and babies speak no language, yet they manage to effectively communicate the desire to have all of their needs met.
Also, how do you suppose that 93% of all communication is non-verbal? Does that mean that language is only minimally effective in facilitating the communication of feelings, ideas, attitudes and such? If so, why are we settling?
More importantly, could nonverbal communication be more effective than we realize? Sure ‘experts’ say that nonverbal communication consists of gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact (or lack thereof), body language, and posture.
However, I wonder if there is more to nonverbal commication? Prior to the invention of language, was humanity more adept at other forms of communication such as telepathy? Did language consequently act to “dumb us down?”
Does our dependence on words, which are merely sound waves coming out of our mouths ultimately negatively impact our perception of reality by offering us a less evolved version of our own existence? Does it cause us to focus too much on emotions to the point of becoming their slave rather than master?
Moreover, language is man-made, which is inherently suspicious. After all, language defines what every aspect of being is. For instance, the sky is the sky because language dictates that it is so. What if the sky is something else entirely and we only perceive it to be what we are told? Or what if a leaf was actually a gateway of sorts which we would never realize because language has limited our observation of what it is? What about the names of diseases? Imagine the amount of power we give to dis-ease by naming it.
It seems that in many ways language limits the capacity of our minds, confining it to a very limited degree of expansion. It also limits the power of the collective mind because with so many different languages, language divides us.
Language is so heavily pushed on you from childhood. Parents force you to abandon other means of communication that you incarnate with and accept language in it’s place. Is that the death blow to the mind that paralyzes your evolution?
I wonder what would happen if you were to do away with language? How would your observation and experience of life change beyond the limitation of language? There could be a whole new world out there that you will never know but for language blocking the way. Could humanity evolve to become an even higher intelligent lifeform once language is out of the way?
What do you think? Do you believe the real purpose of language is to imprison the mind?
