proliferation towards countless-ness-aemania
i'm pretty sure you know but maybe you haven't noticed that:
all of us, speaking any language, use only a finite number of sounds but can potentially make infinite number of words.
now, we have a limited number of words and just a bunch of syntactic rules, right? we can make endless forms of sentences. yes endless!
the most interesting phenomenon is:
when kids learn their mother tongue, they actively and creatively constrcut structures they have never heard!
don't forget they are potentially able to make endless forms! plus, they never get a formal (academic-style) instrcution on grammar rules...
how does this happen?
this is the question; and finding its answer has been, for years and years, a good reason and attempt for theories of language acquisition to emerge!
you can find thousands of links to key points i mentioned above in internet, they're just a click away (i'm talking the langauge of marketers now :D)
these two are good and less techinal for novices, though: this and this.
however, my point is, which is actually a question for me:
how the concept of endless or infinite can work hand in hand with finite or limited?!
i remember when studying math, there was this concept of infinity that was beyond my head! and funny part was that my friend who had a good background in math and was helping me out kept telling me:
in infinity we have values as well. like some infinite vaues can be less or more infinite than another!!!
ok, these are theoretical approaches to math, but how is our brain structured in such a way that not only can comprehend but create an endless number of stuff out of a limited number of components?!
i'm pretty sure you can understand that it's not the matter of a simple combination or permutation of those components. it's the matter of endless-ness: endless composites or chunks of data from a finite number of constituents.
now take this:
there are also endless perspectives to any aspect of life; how many of them have we seen? and/or have we lived?
how many more can we think of or create?
how broad can we make the way we look at things?
and how can we do it?
i just know one thing: "questioning and not accepting anything as is".
i'd like to find more ways though... endless?!
----
excuse my coinage for countless-ness-aemania ^.^
all of us, speaking any language, use only a finite number of sounds but can potentially make infinite number of words.
now, we have a limited number of words and just a bunch of syntactic rules, right? we can make endless forms of sentences. yes endless!
the most interesting phenomenon is:
when kids learn their mother tongue, they actively and creatively constrcut structures they have never heard!
don't forget they are potentially able to make endless forms! plus, they never get a formal (academic-style) instrcution on grammar rules...
how does this happen?
this is the question; and finding its answer has been, for years and years, a good reason and attempt for theories of language acquisition to emerge!
you can find thousands of links to key points i mentioned above in internet, they're just a click away (i'm talking the langauge of marketers now :D)
these two are good and less techinal for novices, though: this and this.
however, my point is, which is actually a question for me:
how the concept of endless or infinite can work hand in hand with finite or limited?!
i remember when studying math, there was this concept of infinity that was beyond my head! and funny part was that my friend who had a good background in math and was helping me out kept telling me:
in infinity we have values as well. like some infinite vaues can be less or more infinite than another!!!
ok, these are theoretical approaches to math, but how is our brain structured in such a way that not only can comprehend but create an endless number of stuff out of a limited number of components?!
i'm pretty sure you can understand that it's not the matter of a simple combination or permutation of those components. it's the matter of endless-ness: endless composites or chunks of data from a finite number of constituents.
now take this:
there are also endless perspectives to any aspect of life; how many of them have we seen? and/or have we lived?
how many more can we think of or create?
how broad can we make the way we look at things?
and how can we do it?
i just know one thing: "questioning and not accepting anything as is".
i'd like to find more ways though... endless?!
----
excuse my coinage for countless-ness-aemania ^.^
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2 Comments:
Must be Friday. New post. Great subject. Re langauge acquisition: Oh how I admire people who speak more than one language --and something besides English.
Thanks for your comments. I wanted to let you know I have changed the title to the post in question.
I look forward to replying to your many good observations.
Now that I have a moment, I thought I would give further comment to this very interesting post.
You have a strong philosophical bent and have a flair for bringing together seemingly unrelated subjects. Child language acquisition and theory of math all in one post. Wow!
I looked over your archives. Actually I didn't see much that was overtly political, as you intimated I would find. I was more aware of your artist's eye than a partisan political bent. My impression is that you are above the political fray now.
There are endless perspectives on any issue just as there are endless ways to live one's life. Some people feel like they have to try out every lifestyle, which is a problem because some are better than others. Some people think they have to analyze something from every angle, but analyzing something to death and never acting is yet another problem.
The importance of obtaining multiple points of view before coming to consensus is the basis for Baha'i consultation, by the way, the foundation for the way Baha'is govern their affairs. It is a subject for which Baha'is feel a great deal of reverence. There is no clergy in the Baha'i Faith, of course. It is through group process the Baha'i Community functions, as this excerpt from Baha'u'llah indicates:
"The Great Being saith: The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with the two luminaries of consultation and compassion. Take ye counsel together in all matters, inasmuch as consultation is the lamp of guidance which leadeth the way, and is the bestower of understanding."
Still, having a questioning mind is essential, and is also extolled in the Baha'i Writings.
"It is always through questioning and mature thought that we can arrive at the root of everything."
"The first principle of Bahá’u’lláh is independent investigation of truth, that is, all the nations of the world have to investigate after truth independently and turn their eyes from the moribund blind imitations of the past ages entirely. Truth is one when it is independently investigated, it does not accept division. Therefore the independent investigation of truth will lead to the oneness of the world of humanity."
"It is hoped that all the Bahá’í students will...be led to investigate and analyse the principles of the Faith and to correlate them with the modern aspects of philosophy and science. Every intelligent and thoughtful young Bahá’í should always approach the Cause in this way, for therein lies the very essence of the principle of independent investigation of truth."
"Among these teachings was the independent investigation of reality so that the world of humanity may be saved from the darkness of imitation and attain to the truth; may tear off and cast away this ragged and outgrown garment of a thousand years ago and may put on the robe woven in the utmost purity and holiness in the loom of reality. As reality is one and cannot admit of multiplicity, therefore different opinions must ultimately become fused into one."
"There have issued, from His mighty Pen, various teachings....
The first is the independent investigation of truth; for blind imitation of the past will stunt the mind. But once every soul inquireth into truth, society will be freed from the darkness of continually repeating the past."
The spirit of "questioning and not accepting anything as is" is at the very heart of this Baha'i Faith, Ms. Paradox.
My apologies for the length of these comments. When I sat down at the computer tonight I actually thought I would respond to the great comments you made on my blog on Friday. But I got sidetracked by the content of your "countless-ness-aemania." It's all fun, tho. Thanks and good evening.
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