Blog Post
Chapter 5 –The Double Task of Language
Language has multiple tasks: Instrumental, as in fulfilling the task of communication. Also language is used to help us express our feelings.
“In addition to tone of voice and rhythm, another extremely important affective element in language is the aura of feelings, pleasant or unpleasant, that surrounds practically all words (pg 43)”
It is interesting to think about language in the terms of tone of voice and rhythm, because these influence so heavily how our words are understood and reacted to. You could be saying very kind words, in an angry tone of voice and most likely what you were saying would be taken in a negative way because of your tone.
“Almost all verbal expressions of feeling make use, to some extent, of the affective connotations of words. (45)”
This is so true and isn’t something I have thought about much before because it comes so naturally to use these words with certain connotations. Over time words have taken on different connotations that severely influence the meaning of what we say, or the way the person we are saying it too decides to take it.
I also found the passage about how the fear of death can be symbolized by our society’s fear of words having to do with death to be interesting. For example, we use words such as passed away, departed, or gone west. I always associated the use of the softer words for describing one’s passing as a sign of respect rather than fear. It definitely makes sense that some of this usage may come from our own fear.
I think the connotations of words are fun to study, because we learn so much about ourselves and the development of our language. Sometimes doesn’t take much for a word to develop a negative connotation, other than repetitive use.
Chapter 6- The Language of Social Cohesion
“We use language in presymbolic ways; that is, as the equivalent of screams, howls, purrs, and gibbering.” (p 56)
It is interesting to see our complicated language system compared to screams, howls and purrs. It really simplifies the fact that we are just using language as a way to communicate to each other, the same way that is done in the animal world. We express our desires, and feelings often through language rather than sounds or noises.
“We talk about nothing at all and thereby establish friendships” (pg 58)
This is so true, often times when I get together with my girlfriends we will sit and talk about things that would be seemingly meaningless to others who didn’t know us. However, it is talking about nothing that seems to bring friendships closer together, because just enjoying each other’s company is the most important. “The togetherness is not merely in the talking itself, but in the opinions expressed.” (page 58)
I really like the following quote for the means of summarizing this chapter:
“Presymbolic communications have this characteristic in common: Their effectiveness does not depend on the use of words. They can even be performed without recognizable speech at all.” (p 62)
What I get from this: Communication is not necessarily about what is said, but about the need to listen, be heard, and feel as if you are interacting with another person. They want to hear one another’s voices, and their own. It’s all about the interaction between two people.
The Language of Social Control -7
Words can be influential and used as a means to try and make things happen in our favor.
“The future, like the recorded past, is a specifically human dimension.” (p 65)
Dogs, for example, may know that something specific will happen every morning (in a sense knowing the future, but cannot gather something that will happen in the future from a word or command. Animals cannot really control future events.
It is interesting that the book brought up propaganda on page 67. I studied propaganda extensively in a media class, and it is so true that people react almost instantly in favor or against what propaganda is telling you to go out and buy, believe or not believe. The human opinion seems to be so easy to influence by the work of others through language and means of communication.
“Society is a vast network of mutual agreements” (68)
This is something I have never thought about, but the way we have come to be the society that we are is by many, many mutual agreements upon laws, rules, cultures, norms, etc. It makes you wonder why people tend to agree so much on certain things? Like driving on the right side of the road rather than left in the U.S.
Chapter 8—How We Know What We Know
This chapter seems to somewhat target the questions that lingered in the back of my head during many of the previous ones. Why are this just the way they are? How did so much in our society come to be inferred and understood?
“The indispensability of this process of abstracting can again be illustrated by what we do when we calculate.” (p 87)
It is interesting to think of abstracting as such a complicated act, when our brains seem to do it automatically. For example, inferring that Bessie is a cow (ex from book), by looking at her features, and actions. We are calculating in our minds.
“Definitions tell us nothing about things” (88)
If definitions tell us nothing, and only describe people’s linguistic habits, than observations must be what really tell us something about things.
Abstactions go deeper into different levels of being abstract. Psychological well-being requires the constant interplay of higher and lower level abstractions. Its interesting to think that this all goes on in our heads and we don’t seem to notice it.