We tend to think in symbols, usually in words. We shape our
thoughts into phrases and sentences as a way of rehearsing what we’re going to
say. But even when we have no intention of speaking, even when there’s no one
else around, the habit persists and the internal monologue goes on. The mind
always seems to have something to say. Language and thought have co-evolved in
humans for so long that they are now inseparable. Thought has shaped the way we
speak, and language has shaped the way we think.
Language was a game changer. It ushered in a whole new way of thinking, a whole new way of being. Language pushed our species over a tipping point between the symbol-sparse world of animals and symbol-rich world of civilization, connecting minds to other minds and transforming the miracle of consciousness into the miracle of culture.
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