I wanted to write, briefly, on what I perceive as a vast underestimation of the impact language has had on the world around us by the general populous. A quick google search or two will tell you just how overlooked language is in the eyes of the public. The widespread usage of the wheel, agriculture, and electricity seem to consistently rate as the most important developments in mankind's history.
Here's the thing, though: without a common form of communication, a group does not have lasting organization. Without organization, there is no adoption of agriculture, inventing of the wheel or harnessing of electricity. There is very little knowledge passed down at all. It is language, above all else, that separates humanity from animals. One only needs to consider that every human tribe with any sort of culture that has ever existed, no matter how remote, has some form of communication responsible for holding them together.
Further, though it may be difficult, stop for a second and imagine the human thought process without any form of language. Imagine trying to have the thoughts currently going through your mind without words. Go ahead. Right now. I'll wait.
Are you done? I don't know about you, but it's not an easy thing for me to do.
Next, pretend you are in the wild with a small, dialect-less group, and, for the first time ever, you come across a delicious red apple. Hesitantly, you decide to bite into the strange object and are delighted. You're now able to remember the color, taste and emotional response provided by taking that bite, but the only means you have of sharing such an experience is by physically gesturing to those nearby, pointing at the apples, and eating more. Now let's pretend you've simply never tried or seen an apple before in your life, but you speak one or more languages. Though you've never seen a picture of one, others have told you what apples look and taste like. Consequently, without fear one day, you pick up an apple and eat it knowing full well its characteristics in advance. This example may seem like an obvious triviality for most, but think of the gravity of what has occurred here; people in your past have successfully managed to alter your perception and expectations of the world by making sounds at you.
This trend continues onward to the point where sometimes language can incite emotional responses that would otherwise not even exist. For instance, if someone calls another person ugly or makes fun of his or her personal outlook of the world, then the provoked individual will likely react in some way. The very fact that this kind of thing can even occur should blow your mind. Why? Again, such a reaction occurred simply and only because one person made sounds at another. The person feeling bad or angry for being verbally insulted has changed their own thought process based on noises emitted from a foreign entity. That's no small feat. That's the equivalent of mind control.
Let's try a more complex and emotional example, now. Say you're in the wild, again without language, and you have a mate. While you were off hunting and gathering food for the day, your mate has had some afternoon fun with a nearby tree-neighbor. You return, notice something is up and become emotionally distraught upon discovering (maybe through subtle body signals) what has transpired. Without any way of expressing your understandably conflicted feelings, perhaps you shout, throw a stone pot, or storm off. Regardless, do you know what you're not doing? Organizing your inner feelings in your head with linear thoughts or expressing such emotions aloud to your mate in an understandable manner.
To put things even more in perspective, these words I am writing now would be impossible to express without my knowledge of English. Likewise, any emotions or thoughts that you, the reader, happen to experience while reading this are only possible because you can understand my writing. Language forms ideas where there would otherwise be none, promoting organization, communication, and development. The more able an individual can distinguish and express their thoughts, the more they can understand and act upon the reality around them. An unfortunate or interesting side effect, however, is that, just as if people that existed in the wild without words would be limited in their ability to express certain thoughts and emotions, people with language are all similarly ignorant of their own thought potential. All humans, regardless of what language or languages they happen to speak, are governed by the specific set of rules that organizes their language(s). For instance, I happen to speak English, so my thoughts are governed by English's own organization and structure. A person that speaks only French or Japanese or German, or even all three, would similarly be limited. As a result, think of the potentially limitless thoughts and emotions that we'll never experience simply because the languages we speak prevent us from attaining them.
This is the staggering power language has on humanity. Greater than religion, greater than electricity, greater than war, greater than agriculture. Language is our superpower.
As a final point, if you happen to disagree with anything I have said, just remember that your reaction, whatever it may be, is based on the fact that you've been staring, idly in front of a screen, at otherwise incomprehensible and irrelevant scribbles for as long as it took you to read this.
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