How do deaf people think?

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Sigrid

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Lately, I've been thinking quite a lot about how people think.

Most of all I wonder if one is depending on words in order to think, or if having an idea about it is enough.

Since I am a hearing person, it's hard to decide wether i use words or not when I think.

So do you think in words?

Thanks.
 
Sigrid said:
Lately, I've been thinking quite a lot about how people think.

Most of all I wonder if one is depending on words in order to think, or if having an idea about it is enough.

Since I am a hearing person, it's hard to decide wether i use words or not when I think.

So do you think in words?

Thanks.
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Dunno. Ask a neuroscientist?
 
You sorta make it sound like we're aliens from a different planet. I'm sure that wasn't your intentions though.

It's almost like this.... does a person speaking english think the same as a person speaking spanish. All our brains process the same way.
 
Yeah. The question is also a bit confusing, because she even don't know how "hearing people think".
 
Sigrid said:
Lately, I've been thinking quite a lot about how people think.

Most of all I wonder if one is depending on words in order to think, or if having an idea about it is enough.

Since I am a hearing person, it's hard to decide wether i use words or not when I think.

So do you think in words?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

since you don't know how you think... then how can you expect us to answer your question? :dizzy:
 
I asked you because when I start thinking about if I think in words or not, I start thinking the words out loud inside my head. I hoped it might be clearer for you since (those of you who are born deaf) never have heard any words.

I hope you're not offended, that was not my intention.
 
Sigrid said:
I asked you because when I start thinking about if I think in words or not, I start thinking the words out loud inside my head. I hoped it might be clearer for you since (those of you who are born deaf) never have heard any words.

I hope you're not offended, that was not my intention.
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we hear with our eyes.
 
Sigrid said:
So do you think in pictures? :S
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Ok I've been trying to be as polite as I can.... trying to give you a realistic answer to your question. I'm starting to think your not really looking for a answer but more like trying to piss us off.

You read books right??? When you were in school did you ever have "silent reading?" You THINK about the words your reading.
 
ladysolitary85 said:
Ok I've been trying to be as polite as I can.... trying to give you a realistic answer to your question. I'm starting to think your not really looking for a answer but more like trying to piss us off.

You read books right??? When you were in school did you ever have "silent reading?" You THINK about the words your reading.
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Actually, I'm at school right now, trying to write an essay on newspeak (as seen in 1984 by George Orwell, I'm sure you've read it since you read books).

The aim of newspeak is to narrow the range of thought by removing all words that could be used to think anything that might go agianst the regime. That's why I wondered if you could help me figuring out if human beings need words in order to think.

I want to argue that Orwell was wrong and that the thought is independent from the language. And that's where you come in, at least those of you who are born deaf. I think that deaf people prove my theory: that the thought is independent from the language.

My question was serious and i would really appreciate it if you can give me a serious answer.

I'm not trying to piss you off, I'm trying to make you think and share your thoughts with me.
 
You make something so simple seem like rocket science....Yea I'm done.... not playing the mind game.
 
ladysolitary85, please read this before you leave:

I don't find it simple at all. I'm terribly confused. And I do not think that being deaf and speaking another language is comparable. Personally, I speak 3 languages. I know that sign languages differ, so i guess it's more like just a system, not the thought mecanism itself.

Alldeaf says that hearing people are welcome to join...
 
i once had a CAT scan as part of some doctors research on how the brain of deaf works. so you may be looking at the same thing. isnt thinking more like imagery ?
 
DDU said:
i think. therefore i am
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Descartes, a French philosopher.

As for how deaf people think, I believe it has a lot to do with how we were raised. Some of us think in pictures because we were raised using ASL as the main mode of communication, some of us think in words because we were raised orally.

I am not by any means a professional, I am only a shade tree nueroscientist at best. I say this only because we had a thread similar to this once before and I recall some users saying because they use ASL so much they think about the actual object or action rather than the word for it. Those of us that were raised orally (me included) said they usually think about the word.

For the hearing population they tend to 'hear' the word in their head when they think of something.

As for hearing with our eyes, no truer words have been said! Even as a HOH, I still 'hear' with my eyes as I usually find myself speech reading.

That's just my 2 cents.
 
DDU said:
i once had a CAT scan as part of some doctors research on how the brain of deaf works. so you may be looking at the same thing. isnt thinking more like imagery ?
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Imagery is absolutely a good word for describing thinking. I'm not sure, but I believe that's how I think. When I think, I don't think in a specific language. It's first when I'm going to formulate myself that I have to translate my thoughts into words.

Do you think that it's possible to narrow the range of thought by removing words? Or does the idea disappear along with the word?
 
Dixie said:
Descartes, a French philosopher.

As for how deaf people think, I believe it has a lot to do with how we were raised. Some of us think in pictures because we were raised using ASL as the main mode of communication, some of us think in words because we were raised orally.

I am not by any means a professional, I am only a shade tree nueroscientist at best. I say this only because we had a thread similar to this once before and I recall some users saying because they use ASL so much they think about the actual object or action rather than the word for it. Those of us that were raised orally (me included) said they usually think about the word.

For the hearing population they tend to 'hear' the word in their head when they think of something.

As for hearing with our eyes, no truer words have been said! Even as a HOH, I still 'hear' with my eyes as I usually find myself speech reading.

That's just my 2 cents.
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That was a lot of smart stuff in one reply.

What's HOH?

Thanks for your help.
 
Sigrid said:
That was a lot of smart stuff in one reply.

What's HOH?

Thanks for your help.
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say what??...you really like to piss people off, don't cha'??...Get off ur arse and read the threads!...Looking for an "easy way out or answers to ur questions?"....the door is to ur right!
 
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