What our language habits reveal

Steven Pinker on the case for optimism

In Depth with Steven Pinker

A conversation on language from many years ago between me and @newthinkingallowed. Me: I think it's basically the machinery of the mind. It's the ability to have thoughts that's independent of language. But language is obviously very important to supplying the actual content of the thoughts, I think. Jeffrey Mishlove: Now, some cultures, particularly in Asia, have developed, let's say, a mystical tradition that we haven't had with nearly as much depth in the West. And I think that's reflected in