When language fails, there’s a discrepancy between the mind and its surroundings, a terrible thing. Language is such a vital part of humanity that without it, we’d become less than people, less than animals even. Take Taylor for example, when she lost her language center, she said she couldn’t distinguish between herself and her surroundings, that she became disconnected from herself. When she could no longer recognize herself, she lost her humanity. Which is why the issue of whether or not recognizing a lack of language is necessary, is important. As people, we should always be working towards bettering language, so that we never lose it, and subsequently, our humanity.
Moments of bliss are important because without them, we break. As people, we work through countless bits of stress and hardship, just so we can find those rare moments of bliss, when everything’s shiny and chrome. The concept of suicide, as detestable as it is, is an option for people who can no longer bear to look for the diamonds in life. Robin Williams left little notes all over his house, hints at his decision to end his life. Why would a person so easily inclined to happiness kill themselves, unless they were tired of looking? which is why it’s so important to meditate on bliss, and figure out how it can be given to people, so that everyone can live without depression.
In the eyes of the human brain, language is somehow the source of all that is good and all that is evil. Language is restricting, yet it is freeing. The ambiguous nature of language allows for its own failure to be, for some, a source of great knowledge—some, like Jill Bolte Taylor, would even call it bliss—and for others a great loss; a hindrance. With that being said, the failure of language under any circumstance matters. Like you said, it can lead to the loss of our humanity, whether that be the loss of one’s place in society or the loss of society itself. It can also, on the other hand, (especially in the case of Jill Taylor) lead to such cathartic, mind-opening, and nearly omniscient experiences that it may be parallel with what humanity knows to be bliss. This is because the human experience, via language, is directly connected to the human brain. Because of this it can be argued that language, and even the absence of it through experiences like and unlike Jill Bolte Taylor’s, defines us and shapes us into who we become.
ReplyDeleteLanguage can lead to the highest of highs, yet also bring you to the lowest of lows. So, so what? Why is language such a big deal to humanity? Language is our bridge to each other and to ourselves. Without it, like Taylor, we would be lost. Is being lost in a nirvana where we are all connected and blissful a bad thing? I think no, but because of the time I was raised in a loss of language/communication is a meaningless life.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the exerpt and watching the video i found myself lost in a lack of understanding of what they were even trying to communicate theough their mdiums i thoug they were both completly crazy, but i understand now that they were saying language is the ultimate medium for communicating and once you lose that you become completly dissociated from everything even yourself being lost within your own head unable to tell anyone.
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