Is it important enough?
I'll admit that it's a rather cocky problem, after all the fact that I'm worrying about it about it implies that I think I'll make some difference into whatever field I go into, but it's something that bothers me nonetheless. I can't quite place my finger on why, though I suspect that it has something to do with the fact that my goals in life are always way bigger than anything I'll ever achieve. When I wanted to go into physics (because I find the stuff fascinating, though I now know that I'm hopeless with the math involved), I wanted to do it to discover the unknown, to change the borders of human knowledge. I want to do the same with language, but it's not something that works in quite the same way.
Don't get me wrong, I realize how deep we could go into the links between language and thought, it's just that I can never go farther than humanity. I can never look into the nature of why everything is. Now, the question is, does that matter?
I don't have an answer to that question, which is exactly why my goals in life are bothering me so much. I want to do research, I want to understand the universe, I want to have a hand in humanity understanding the universe. As much as I want to run with my passions (and truly, my passion for language far outweighs my interest in physics), it's something I will never do. Here I am not referring specifically to my discovering something radical and new, but more referring to understanding in general. You see, math is the language of the universe. It's the way we are able to interpret the infinitely complex inner workings that we can't see. It's a language that I'll never be able to speak, especially if I go along this path.
But why does linguistics matter?
To me, specifically, it matters because it's something I adore. I think language is one of the most beautiful and intricate things that mankind has ever created, but that's not what I'm talking about. Does it matter to the world? Does linguistics make a difference? How deep is its impact? Does it matter that the word thou has disappeared, you taking it over and encapsulating two pronouns? I may find it extremely interesting but why is it important to the rest of the world?
Well, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects of linguisics is discovering the links between language and thought. Through that, we can learn to understand ourselves better and work with ourselves better. Outside of that, it's more about learning where we came from, where we're going to, understanding our past and our future. It doesn't look like all of that is hidden in something as simple as the disappearance of one word or the appearance of another, and it's not. It's not hidden in one, but in the whole tapestry of change that we can see throughout the past. It shows us what people value at specific times (more common words indicate what is most important to a particular group) and what they don't care about at others. It shows us what kind of culture was in place at the time. Language is covered with the fingerprints of history.
Is that important? Well, it's not an importance that most people realize, but it's important to me.
Is this post useful to anyone who is not me? Doubtful. Since I realize that nobody reads this blog, I've started to post my musings on life here.
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