*Words as Gods; Creationism; Language and its Matrix*

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I ran a thread in General Discussion a couple of months ago with a poll asking if people were addicted to language. The overwhelming majority voted to say that they were, ( either that it was "their life", or that they were "heavy users" ).

I think language addiction is an Aspie thing. It might not be an Autistic thing though; the DSM does suggest that there is a difference between the two groups based on language use.

My impression is that although many/most NT's mindlessly/unthinkingly "obey" the general gist of language they are not as deeply constructed/influenced by it, not as vulnerable/sensitive to it, as people on the Aspergers part of the spectrum are, ( which would not be surprising if, as they say, 75%, or more, of human communication is body language ).

Most NT's don't seem to take ( verbal ) language all that seriously, nor do they think about it very much, and, in stark contrast with AS, they apparently don't mind spending hours exchanging empty, almost meaningless, ( contradictory, etc ), remarks in order to establish/maintain social bonds and pecking orders. Language doesn't seem to "touch" them to the same degree as it does many AS.
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Last edited by ouinon on 14 Jun 2009, 4:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

Very interesting choice of words, almost as if its another organism separate from us - like the large amounts of bacteria, fungus, etc. that dominate the amount of human DNA that's in us? Intuitively its hard to grasp because, you would think that our minds through evolution had innate capabilities that hadn't found a use, abilities that may have arisen as side effects of other needs, and it took the agricultural revolution for people to have enough of the right kinds of contact for it to flourish.

Have you ever heard the Neandrethal/Cromagnon interbreeding theory? The idea presented with that one is that we largely assimilated the Neandrethals and that their DNA became the catalyst in spurring our own into rapid changes which brought on more in the way of abstract thought and the like.

Neanderthal/Cromagnon theories are always interesting. We do have bigger foreheads than NT's. That is just one physical observation. I just read yesterday that Hitler (sorry to bring the nazis up) and the nazi doctors thought the high forehead/big head was a desirable trait. Supposedly those people carried more logical minded genes of some sort. I don't see why they sought out blue eyes and blonde hair tho...anyways...

I have always held a fascination for language as ounion described.

oh i'm fascinated by it (language), but that's because i know i'm outside of it and can see how crucial it is to have good skills with it in NT world. it's foreign.

Ouinon, this trait of using language for thinking and knowing it is yourself is pervasive to human groups including those genetically isolated from other human groups since well before the time frame you are positing. It’s implausible that this trait did not develop at all until 4000 or so years ago then suddenly spread throughout all human gene pools, including genetically isolated ones.

I think this is the only thing in this thread I have been able to relate to, much less really understand. I have trouble seeing language the way ouinon does. It gets twisted up in my head. Funny though, I do not seem to have as much trouble with written language as verbal, although written can cause problems too.

You might also figure yourself that, living here, we know all about "Jerusalem Syndrome".

And by the way, it happens to Christians only, of course. How do you think a Jew could suddenly feel they're Jesus or Napoleon from having visited the Christianholy places.