One cannot guess how a word functions. One has to look at its use and learn from that. But the difficulty is to remove the prejudice which stands in the way of doing this. It is not a stupid prejudice.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Language shapes our perception of reality.
Ludwig Wittgenstein's quote suggests that the language we use influences our understanding and interpretation of the world around us. This idea reflects the relationship between language, thought, and perception, arguing that the lens through which we view reality is, in part, determined by the words and structures available within our linguistic framework.
Themes
LanguagePerceptionRealityThoughtPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on linguistic relativity, this quote can illustrate how language influences thought.
More from Ludwig Wittgenstein
All quotes →No one likes having offended another person; hence everyone feels so much better if the other person doesn't show he's been offended. Nobody likes being confronted by a wounded spaniel. Remember that. It is much easier patiently - and tolerantly - to avoid the person you have injured than to approach him as a friend. You need courage for that.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
It's impossible for me to say one word about all that music has meant to me in my life. How, then, can I hope to be understood?
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Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
My day passes between logic, whistling, going for walks, and being depressed. I wish to God that I were more intelligent and everything would finally become clear to me - or else that I needn't live much longer.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
I am sitting with a philosopher in the garden; he says again and again 'I know that that’s a tree', pointing to a tree that is near us. Someone else arrives and hears this, and I tell him: 'This fellow isn’t insane. We are only doing philosophy.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
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