Thought
22/11/2008 - 09:04:23 - 2 comments - By D47

We know that humans think using the language(s) that they speak, but what to creatures without language think in? is it possible that they don't really think at all about anything that isn't immediately in front of them. A dog for example would see food and want to eat it based on impulses generated from the smell of it and the dogs hunger. If the dog wasn't hungry it wouldn't have such a strong impulse to eat the food.

When a dog is alone and trying to sleep does it think of what it did that day? how can it do that without a language? It must just think of nothing, right? but we know how hard that is so I can't think of how they do it, what ideas do you have? Also what kind of things would be in a humans head if he/she didn't know any form of language?

The development of a language must provide so much extra mental freedom for a being, without language a being would be restricted to thinking about only a small scope of things that they have experienced before. It would be impossible to think of things like abstract math and advance reasoning. Imagine how hard it would be to play a game of chess without thinking using a language, I dare you to try it! If you're like me you will find yourself using language without noticing.

Language is also an obvious requirement for communication and hence a society. Language is the key to advancement in not only endeavors in fields such as technology or social structure but also in the development of cognitive ability.

 
(guest) (15/7/2009 - 13:44:32)
\"When a dog is alone and trying to sleep does it think of what it did that day? how can it do that without a language?...Also what kind of things would be in a humans head if he/she didn\'t know any form of language?\"

>> Sometimes when I reflect upon the events of a day I do so in images. Provided that the events of the day are not complex (and require analysis to try and understand or problem solve) i can reflect in a way thats similar to taking a printscreen and looking at it later on....so i have a image of an event which i can recall...should i choose i can connect the emotions experienced during this event with the image to sort of re-experience parts of the day as a form of shallow pointless reflection. I do this when i want to escape complex thoughts but cant bring myself to think of nothing....

Now I don\'t want to liken my thought process to that of a dogs but is it possible that they to reflect using memory images which trigger emotional responses associated with the particular images? I\'ve heard people say that even dogs can dream...and aren\'t dreams a mash up of images and memories stored in the mind?...I know humans dreams are probably more complex then that of a dogs but maybe some sort of simplistic image based mental stimulation is similar to an animals way of reflecting?...Visuals which stimulate emotional responses don\'t require a language to understand because they are imprinted in ones mind...Even though we have analysed and labeled different we still felt them prior to naming them..I\'m sure animals are the same, they would feel emotion just wouldn\'t feel compelled analyse it..they\'d just take it for what it is ...If dogs have the mental capacity to recall and store imagery and connect emotion to it i guess that could be an explanation for why they enjoy company, miss masters when separated, learn from mistakes ect ect all with out a said language. Perhaps that IS their language? Different to ours but a system non the less.

Or something like that..

-end word vomit-
 
(guest) (15/7/2009 - 14:01:45)
....also...on a less of a whacked out note,

Other animals think, and they do infact have their own different language compared to ours. When a dog barks, its not just making noise, its communicating. When you see two dogs together, they bark at each other, yet they have alot more hands on communication of sniffing each other etc.

Just because we're the dominate species of the earth does not mean we are the only intelligent beings. A dog can determine whether or not it likes a type of food, and of course can remember that. Yet it doesn't see in Colour, it only sees in black and white, like alot of other animals do.

Dogs and many other animals are quite more intelligent than we think they are. Its only the fact we can't communicate with them. But remember, they can start to understand Our language, something we can't do with them.. We know so little about any other species ways of communicating because its been so impossible trying to decipher it. But all things communicate in ways we do not understand...I'm sure they have a very multi faceted language which we just dont understand yet...

-Promise to end now-

^_^
 
 
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