Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Spaz · 05-14-2003, 05:19 PM

Ya know how when you think, you're pretty much talking in your head, what I was wondering was how did man without a spoken or written language of any kind really think?

I dunno if this has been asked before because I don't really go to this section

. Just link me to it if there's a thread.

John/nyc · 05-14-2003, 06:36 PM

Probably thought in pictures. Animated pictures.

Jinto · 05-14-2003, 11:50 PM

Quote:

I was thinking...

You really shouldn't do too much of that. It's unhealthy.

monkey mind · 05-15-2003, 10:56 AM

... or what does my cat think? is it all "meow meow meow purrrrrrrrrr meow"?

I think theres a lot more to our thoughts than the ones that are like speaking in your head, it's just that those are the ones we recognize as "concious".

My guess would be that pre-language humans probably starting making up their own representations for things in their heads, which later became his concious thought and eventually a language. ? Like maybe it started that the human would only think of a rock through a mental picture, but then attached something shorter and easier to mean "rock".

jpbrooks · 05-15-2003, 11:28 AM

I agree with monkey mind. We are able to learn and use language because our brains are already "wired" to produce symbolic representations of things. But this ability is not exclusively a human one. Rats, for example, are able to find, through trial and error, the correct path through a maze. And it is difficult to imagine how they can do that without the ability to form representations of things in their brains.

Spaz · 05-15-2003, 02:51 PM

Yeah, monkey mind makes sense, I dunno why I didn't think of that.

Mageth · 05-15-2003, 02:55 PM

Well, if he was like man today, I know what he thought about most of the time.

monkey mind · 05-15-2003, 03:28 PM

This is what I thought of when I read your first post:

"...man, like every living creature thinks continually but does not know it; thinking that has become concious is only the smallest part of it, let us say the most superficial part, the worst part - for only this concious thinking takes place in words, that is to say communication-signs, by which the origin of conciousness reveals itself." - Nietzsche

and (I don't have a quote) a saying of Buddha that the mind is the ocean, and thoughts are only ripples on the surface.

05-14-2003, 05:19 PM	#1
Spaz Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: 6th Circle of Hell Posts: 1,093	I was thinking... Ya know how when you think, you're pretty much talking in your head, what I was wondering was how did man without a spoken or written language of any kind really think? I dunno if this has been asked before because I don't really go to this section . Just link me to it if there's a thread.

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05-14-2003, 06:36 PM	#2
John/nyc Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: New York City Posts: 10	Probably thought in pictures. Animated pictures.

05-15-2003, 10:56 AM	#4
monkey mind Regular Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: canada Posts: 140	... or what does my cat think? is it all "meow meow meow purrrrrrrrrr meow"? I think theres a lot more to our thoughts than the ones that are like speaking in your head, it's just that those are the ones we recognize as "concious". My guess would be that pre-language humans probably starting making up their own representations for things in their heads, which later became his concious thought and eventually a language. ? Like maybe it started that the human would only think of a rock through a mental picture, but then attached something shorter and easier to mean "rock".

05-15-2003, 11:28 AM	#5
jpbrooks Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Chicago Posts: 774	I agree with monkey mind. We are able to learn and use language because our brains are already "wired" to produce symbolic representations of things. But this ability is not exclusively a human one. Rats, for example, are able to find, through trial and error, the correct path through a maze. And it is difficult to imagine how they can do that without the ability to form representations of things in their brains.

05-15-2003, 02:51 PM	#6
Spaz Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: 6th Circle of Hell Posts: 1,093	Yeah, monkey mind makes sense, I dunno why I didn't think of that.

05-15-2003, 02:55 PM	#7
Mageth Contributor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Deep in the heart of mother-lovin' Texas Posts: 29,689	Well, if he was like man today, I know what he thought about most of the time.

05-15-2003, 03:28 PM	#8
monkey mind Regular Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: canada Posts: 140	This is what I thought of when I read your first post: "...man, like every living creature thinks continually but does not know it; thinking that has become concious is only the smallest part of it, let us say the most superficial part, the worst part - for only this concious thinking takes place in words, that is to say communication-signs, by which the origin of conciousness reveals itself." - Nietzsche and (I don't have a quote) a saying of Buddha that the mind is the ocean, and thoughts are only ripples on the surface.

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