The boundaries of our language

American linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf observed in the 1930s that words could unexpectedly influence human behavior. He noted that workers were less cautious around gasoline barrels marked "empty," even though they contained flammable vapors. This led Whorf to propose, along with his mentor Edward Sapir, that people perceive the world not as it is, but as their language allows them to. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, as it became known, posits that language is not merely a tool for expressing thoughts but actively shapes them.

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People perceive the world not as it is, but as their language allows them to.

This idea has generated both significant interest and criticism over the years. While most linguists today do not accept that language entirely determines thought, many acknowledge substantial evidence that language influences our perception. Although claiming language changes the world might be ambitious, it certainly directs our attention. For instance, studies show that people with distinct words for color shades are more successful at distinguishing those shades, suggesting that a word can make what the eye sees slightly more apparent. Humans tend to notice things more easily once they can name them.

Language also frames events differently. The choice between calling an action a "mistake" or "negligence," describing an economic situation as a "crisis" or "fluctuation," or referring to a migration movement as "asylum" or "invasion," significantly impacts interpretation. Words do not just describe; they interpret. George Orwell powerfully illustrated this possibility in his novel "1984," where the ruling power sought to limit thought by shrinking language. The idea was that as certain words disappear, the thoughts they represent would also fade, making it harder to demand freedom if the words to describe it no longer exist.

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Language not only describes but also interprets.

Perhaps this is why politics operates not just on events but also on words. How an event is named largely determines how it will be evaluated. Throughout history, powers, oppositions, ideologies, and social movements have first sought to control concepts. Social media provides countless examples of this phenomenon, where people observing the same event use different words, leading them to inhabit different realities. One group's "reform" is another's "liquidation"; one person's "security measure" is another's "restriction of freedom." Discussions often center on the words used before they even address the events themselves.

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As certain words disappear, the thoughts they represent would also fade.