The words of language, as they are written or spoken, do not seem to play any role in my mechanism of thought. The physical entities which seem to serve as elements in thought are certain signs and more or less clear images.
The only living language is the language in which we think and have our being.
Language helps develp life as surely as it reflects life. It is a most important part of our human condition.
To grasp the meaning of the world of today we use a language created to express the world of yesterday. The life of the past seems to us nearer our true natures, but only for the reason that it is nearer our language.
Those who have reflected on the powerful influence of language on thought will perceive in how different a manner people who speak in different languages are apt to think.
I do not pretend that language is science. It isan instrument for the attainment of science.
Only where there is language is there world.
Thought and speech are inseparable from each other. Matter and expression are parts of one; style is a thinking out into language.
We live at the level of our language. Whatever we can articulate we can imagine or understand or explore.
You need language for thought, and you need language to anticipate death. There is no abstract thought without language and no anticipation. I think the anticipation of death without language would be impossible.
We, as writers, have to figure out a way to create a consciousness in language. It's crazy even to attempt to do that.
We speak not only to tell other people what we think, but to tell ourselves what we think. Speech is a part of thought.
Man usually believes, if only words he hears, That also with them goes material for thinking. [Ger., Gewohnlich glaubt der Mensch, wenn er nur Worte hort, Es musse sich dabei doch auch was denken.]
