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Language serves not only to express thought but to make possible thoughts which could not exist without it.
Bertrand Russell
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Language is essential for expressing and developing thoughts that wouldn't exist otherwise.

Bertrand Russell's quote emphasizes the fundamental role of language in shaping our thoughts and ideas. It suggests that language is not merely a tool for communication but a crucial component in the very formation of complex thoughts and concepts, implying that without language, our cognitive abilities would be significantly limited.

Themes

LanguageThoughtCommunicationPhilosophyExpressionCognition

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion on the importance of literature, you might use this quote to highlight how storytelling shapes our understanding.

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St. Paul introduced an entirely novel view of marriage, that it existed primarily to prevent the sin of fornication. It is just as if one were to maintain that the sole reason for baking bread is to prevent people from stealing cake.
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Moreover, the attitude that one ought to believe such and such a proposition, independently of the question whether there is evidence in its favor, is an attitude which produces hostility to evidence and causes us to close our minds to every fact that does not suit our prejudices.
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Extreme hopes are born from extreme misery.
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