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Showing posts from January, 2017

Am I limited by my own language?

    But really, am I? On my last ToK classes we are discussing a lot about the language. How language affects our world's view and our beliefs, the problems with translations and meaning of the words ect. So as I heard about those obstacles and problems that language is, I started wondering (because on my classes we also talked about different languages and untranslatable words) about limitations that I have because of speaking my native language. Is my mother's tongue a set of beliefs and emotions of my forefathers? Because the language I am using now, was once invented and words were made up to express certain feelings and needs. Of course it is always changing and current society is adapting the language to its needs. However, the past can still affect language. For example, if the country was once full of farmers, then in the language may exist more farmer's words in comparison to, for example, to country in which the majority of citizens work as miners. 

Unseen knowledge

Some time ago my friend told me this short story: I was going time from school by bus. That day I felt a bit annoyed because I forgot to take my headphones and my way back home looks as if it's going to be quite long because of the traffic in the city. So I sat be the window next to a group of teens. Sitting next to them I heart their school stories, what they did today at school and so on. You might think that it is just a normal, everyday situation, but I started to think: Well, I go back go by bus every day for past 6 six or so. However, I cannot remember listening that kind of conversations were I was 9. I remember talking and hearing about some children TV shows or new toys someone received. Does it mean that I did not hear conversations about more teen issues just because I was not a teen or I wasn't interested in that topics?   My friend is also an IB student so we started to think and discuss this question. From the previous question the knowledge question arose Can