The Effect of Language on Thoughts - Essay Example

? The effect of language on thoughts affiliation The effect of language on thoughts In society we have several things that influence people’s perception or thoughts towards something. The most common factors in society that require expertise to get attention are politics business and the social position or culture. Mostly business and politics revolve around pleasing culture to gain competitive and political advantage respectively. According to Nelson (2009) language is the best way to gain both. Language has over the years been used as a tool of manipulation by politicians and business people. It is with proper language that they are able to transform and shift the society’s focus towards them. Language also enables us to obtain suitable behaviors which help us establish proper social niches. It is with these social niches one is able to succeed in life and other social activities. For instance, individuals who speak Jewish and Korean are perceived as very intelligent. Apart from this assumption, it is true to stay that the levels of brightness in these countries is outstanding. Another factor used to influence the view of people’s thoughts is their professionalism. For example, people working in digital firms and bankers are said to very intelligent hence their thoughts may be well organized and outstanding (Bermudez, 2003). Considering these factors language does not play in the influencing people’s thoughts. However, language has a plays a major role in shaping one’s thoughts and culture. The type and form of language one speaks may have a great effect in his life in terms of behavior. According to Gentner (2004), children with no interest whatsoever to learn respectable and formal language, carry the ignorant behavior later on in their lives. Additionally, the language we speak says a lot about our culture and behavior. The culture and the way we behavior have is what shapes our thoughts. This is proof that language has a lot of weight in portraying an individual’s thoughts and behavior. Is it true that individuals with amazing vocabularies comprehend more? Do they understand much better? Does the knowledge of a language improve the thoughts of a person? Does the language someone speaks influence their thoughts altogether? If this is true it means that there is a more superior language than the other. This paper will provide answers to the above questions. The paper will also give examples of ways that language influences the field of advertising and politics. Generally the paper will answer the question that how much of an effect does language has on thought. It is usually moral upright to use good and correct language hen addressing issues in society. The way an individual advertises or addresses a crowd or an audience, is likely to influence the reaction of the crowd towards the topic of conversation (Nelson, 2009). For instance, stores dealing in adult DVDs avoid using the term pornography material since it would create a negative image on the store. This is proof that the society at large focus on the language an individual uses. Polite language from a business man or an entrepreneur will definitely create a good moral background for their business. This is proof that thought is greatly influenced by language (Bermudez, 2003). Apart from the enterprise language, people always tend to communicate with individuals with proper and moral correct language. The use of some languages on shops may differ from our culture of one’s understanding of morality. To influence the culture of consumers to like one’s shop, it is always advisable to use polite an d moral upright language in display and all forms of advertisement. A polite speaking individual creates a friendly thought about himself. An individual who speaks rudely and uses morally incorrect language tend to have poor social life. It is a norm for people in society to create friendships from thoughts towards other people (Gentner, 2004). Since once thoughts cannot be displayed by their physical appearance, what we speak says a lot about our image and perception of social life. Individually, what we speak tends to say a lot about what we think. Language changes our thought in terms of interaction and what we relate to. According to Bermudez (2003) moral upright individuals speak more positively than their negative speaking individuals. Our behavior influences our language greatly since we speak what we see, do and interact with. About change of behavior, language plays a great role in changing ones behavior but not completely. Behavior change revolves around many factors language being one of them. For instance, activists are greatly with how and what they speak. Activists change their behavior to match what they speak. In many instances, activists oppose authorities for what they term fighting for rights. They do this in very informal ways of communication like, use of abuse and vulgar language showing dissatisfaction towards the authority. To match their language, activists are usually involved in illegal protest carrying banners with vulgar and not pleasing messages (Gentner, 2004). Professionally, language and behavior goes hand in hand. Professions tend to manipulate their interest by what they speak. Another example is the politicians who speak to a language to please individuals. They then follow up there pretence character by showing philanthropic behavior in public. The politicians use polite and convincing language to lure and manipulate voters for their support. It is their language that stands in their way of getting voters (Nelson, 2009). No individual would vote for a politician who uses vulgar and impolite language. What a person displays as a way of promotion in terms of language says a lot about their success potential. For instance, an automobile company that goes with the name ‘Mercedes tortoise’ or ‘Ford snail’ is very unlikely to have a success in its operations. It is human to be lured to attraction by a convincing and appropriate business title or business slogan. According to Weiten (2012) human behavior is greatly influenced and lured by language. Sweet and polite language give room for attraction. Language, as a tool of communication, plays a major role in business politics and society relations. A politician’s success depends on the depth and weight and words they use. The society at large look up to politicians to give them hopes for a better life. Recently, the scope of politics has changed due to harshening global economy (Nelson, 2009). Due to this it would be inappropriate for a politician to speak about his financial empire and power when addressing a crowd. A smart politician will choose their words correctly and promise people jobs and better lives. It is evident that language in politics changes the behavior of people on terms of influence for support. Behavior towards politics is measured in terms of whom an individual supports and the reason why they support a certain politician. This is easily made possible by a correct selection of words. Advertisements on the other hand should be in the best way possible try and create a positive first impression to consumers in the selection of business names and slogans (Bermudez, 2003) For example, a certain organization X had indulged in burger making and selling business. All their competitive advantage strategies were in place but they did not attract the maximum number of consumers it needed. This was caused by the cafeteria’s slogan which read ‘Providing healthy burgers for unhealthy people’. The slogan was very impolite which hindered individuals from dealing with the business venture. Language still has the greatest effect in the world of business. Apart from business slogan, employee consumer relationship and communication should be of the best etiquette. To achieve this, many organizations have employed extremely etiquette human resource team to deal with customer care department. Consumer approach in regards to choice of words and politeness is very crucial. In an argument by Gentner (2004) an individual perception of an organization will depend on how they will be treated and approached by the organization’s staff. The language we use clearly influences the behavior towards us by individuals around our environment. Apart from the thoughts of people around us, it is true to say that the behavior we have can be expressed by the words we speak. Language selection revolves around morality and sensitivity. According to Weiten (2012) speech and language selection can create hatred or love perception towards one. Great legends in the world are known for their expertise in language and word selection. Figure like Albert Einstein and Martin Luther used words to create a common feeling of unity in the whole world. They changed the societies’ behaviors positively. Action cannot have the impact language has in influencing people (Eysenck, 2001). This is the reason that language is considered the most powerful tool of communication and manipulation. Thoughts shape the societies norms. And the thoughts of the society are shaped by language. This means that thought and language goes hand in hand in creating a positive society. A language sensitive society would in turn mean a thought sensitive society. It would be correctly to say that the impact language has on thought is very crucial (Eysenck, 2001). We tend to have and acquire thought from what we speak and what we hear verbally. To acquire the society’s support for any cause of either business or politics, language is the best way to succeed. References Bermudez, J. (2003). Thinking Without Words. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Eysenck, M. (2001). Principles of cognitive psychology. London: Psychology Press. Gentner, D. (2004). Language in mind: advances in the study of language and thoughts. Massachusetts: MIT press. Nelson, K. (2009). Young minds in social worlds. New York: Harvard University Press. Weiten, W. (2012). Psychology: Themes and Variations. New York: Cengage Learning. Read More