Good teachers never say anything. What they do is create the conditions under which learning takes place.
S. I. HayakawaRead
Definitions, contrary to popular opinion, tell us nothing about things. They only describe people's linguistic habits; that is, they tell us what noises people make under what conditions.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Definitions reflect language use rather than the essence of things.
S. I. Hayakawa's quote emphasizes that definitions should not be mistaken for the actual nature of things. Instead, they merely indicate how people have learned to describe their experiences and observations, demonstrating that language shapes our understanding and communication about reality.
Themes
DefinitionsLanguageCommunicationPhilosophyPerception
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophy class when discussing the nature of meaning and language.
More from S. I. Hayakawa
All quotes βIf you see in any given situation only what everybody else can see, you can be said to be so much a representative of your culture that you are a victim of it.
S. I. HayakawaRead
Learning to write is learning to think. You don't know anything clearly unless you can state it in writing.
S. I. HayakawaRead
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