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One cannot guess how a word functions. One has to look at its use and learn from that. But the difficulty is to remove the prejudice which stands in the way of doing this. It is not a stupid prejudice.
Ludwig Wittgenstein
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Understanding a word's function requires examining its use, but biases can hinder this process.

In this quote, Ludwig Wittgenstein emphasizes the importance of looking at the practical use of language to understand how words function. He acknowledges that while this approach is essential, entrenched prejudices can obstruct our ability to see language clearly, suggesting that overcoming these biases is critical for true comprehension.

Themes

LanguageUnderstandingPrejudiceEducationComprehension

In practice

Example use cases

In a lecture on linguistics, this quote could highlight the importance of context in language learning.

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