June 23, 2007
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A Thought on Thoughts
Motion makes us change location and position, which demonstrates
our physical existence within time. But what about thoughts? Sure
they come and go, but is a single thought that one may be thinking of
really, because it is an abstract concept, eternal? For in my view,
people do not think in language initially, but translate their logicals
strands of thought into words only after they think them.
Thus, I think that thoughts transcend languages so that two people from
different speaking cultures can think the same thought, although they
might express it differently in words. And does this imply
that thoughts are eternal in nature? If I think a thought that I had
already thought of before, it seems to have the same quiddity as it did
the first time. Thus, it seems the thought is essential in its own
nature, and therefore has a static, unchanging essence. Thoughts are when the mind touches eternity.
Comments (11)
Thoughts change when circumstances change. I could have the same thought the day before, but if a situation changes then the same thought can not be valid anymore. Right?
I must respectfully say that langauge is something which heightens the ability of thoughts to become more abstract. At some point, ideas reach a complexity which makes them require langauge to become more complex. Langauge is part of what we use to think, to make thoughts.
You know, it’s simply refreshing to be reading through my subscriptions and to come across a post that is actually thought provoking and intellectual. If I haven’t said it before, I enjoy your writing.
God thinks his thoughts toward us.
Thoughts are filtered through language and experience and culture.
I’ve often heard a section of instrumental music and been moved to tears without being able to express the thought behind it, although it seemed to grip something eternal within me…
If this is so, then are thoughts very different from emotions? Or are emotions the ripples that eternal thoughts make on our impressionable souls?
I would think that thoughts are more words then we may think. Humans can think in words or pictures, one always comes more naturally, but to try to communicate meaning without something to symbolize it would seem impossible. Meanings can be comprehended to some extent without a symbol, but it is not easy, it can’t be kept for any langth of time, and it can’t be given to anyone else. And so I am convinced that thought is mostly words or pictures, but only rarely if ever would it lack both.
You should watch the movie “I heart Huckabees”.
um, okay.
Do I know you?
Do you know Lacey? Hmm…what does it mean to know? Haha.
The whole problem with thinking about thoughts is that it’s rather like trying to look yourself in the eye.
That, and you can’t really be sure anyone else is thinking what you’re thinking, or that your thoughts have any actual basis in reality. Of course, if that’s the case, it’s all a great deal of nonsense anyway.
RYC a couple of months ago… I finally put up that original argument for the existence of God I mentioned. You said you’d like to see it.
first time i’ve seen the word ” quiddity” :} oooh calvin and hobbes, i just noticed the little figures right now, love it. by the way i subscribed a while ago, we always need a bit of philosophy and opinion nowadays in this everchanging world, i figure i should be more aware of life basically. its very thought provoking, surprisingly short post, i never thought about any of those things, it has always felt known or irrelevent to note or speak of, the idea of thoughts and language, and etc. and when i begin to think about it, it really stretches my head, i mean, i literally have to look up the definition of such words. and that makes me feel very ignorant, a naive fool. The fact that i speak somewhat literate chinese, i can understand where you are coming from. is thought really logical? does that even consider feelings and emotions? What is thought ( elaborations, what you wrote does not make a clear view to me)? im curious, as i have always known what thought is because i say i think and ponder, but i could never grasp the definition you perceive, what intellectually it is perceived as, is it the same meaning as to thinking? eeek, im going in circumscribing circles….
One’s ability to think seems very heavily tied to language. For example, as I learn more words and learn to use them better, my thought processes become more complex and logical. I am not sure how else I could understand most concepts without words. I think the language does determine how one thinks.