The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-06-20
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or Ineensiderafs

We sometimes hear people speak of thinking in
certain language, particularly when they have
reference TO acquired language that is, Ian
guage other than the native tongue. "You do not
really know French" they will say until you can
think in French" This is mistaken and mslead-
ing statement.
We do not think in language. Thought comes
first and language gives it outer expression. Our
thinking is fundamentally grasp of things, and in
deed there is very close affinity between the word
think and the word thing We know things lin es-
sence, or by definition) and we compare and men
tally pronounce upon these points of knowledge fin
ally, out Of evidenced pronouncements, seen side
by side in the mind, facts may become mani
fest All this is involved in the business called
thinking.
Language is something else again. Language is the
expression of thinking Suppose varied group
of nationals considers circle drawn black
board Suppose that in the minds of all members of
the group there is this piece of thinking: IF this
is true circle, all its radii equal in length" 1t
would be merely silly to say that the Polishman
thinks this thought" in Polish the Frenchman
in French the Hollander in Dutch, the Amer
lean in English They all think the same thought.
When it comes to expressing the thought, each man
is, of course, limited to the language he knows
Mans inevitable impulse TO express his thoughts
usually gives him early facility in the OF his
native tongue. for ordinary and casual purposes,
words are reaoy TO ms recollection and use that
there seems TO be time-interval between the
thought and its expression and no effort appears TO
be involved in giving utterance to thinking But let
man try TO express himself in a language imper-
fecty known, language that he has never mas
tered by daily and hourly for a considerable
time and in varying circumstances; he will have diff
fcuty He will need to recall apt words for what he
wishes to say,-that is to express his thinking He
Sructons in his use of the words This dili he has
acquired facility by much practice) takes effort and
occasions haltng and imperfect utterance.
But the man, struggling to find words and con
structions in unfamiliar language does not rightly
say, u am not yet able TO think in this language"
He has the thought all right he is able TO think; he
is actually thinking What he lacks is mastery of Ian
guage TO express his thinking. He should say not
Il cannot think in this language" but Il don't know
this language well enough to give ready expression
to my thoughts"
Nevertheless language, especially the native lam
guage language thoroughly mastered, is closely
related TO the thinking for which ii is the instru-
ment of expression And this close relationship some.
times makes word the prod and occasion OF think
ing, sometimes indeed word may be so associated
with thought that its directs Tor misdrects) fur.
ther thinking. A word used oyermuch to express
thought may carry its 0Verones into the expression
of another thought for which the word but not the
overtones may be suitable.
Take for instance, the word free" or the word
liberal" Freedom and liberality are splendid
things; they noble desirable, wholly admirable.
The adjectives free" and liberal used consist
emily to express what is fine, likely to carry the
ertone OF fneness and nobility into all their uses,
and sometimes these overtones unjustfied and so
tend TO deceive the mind Thus free thought
liberal views in religion" are expressions suggest
i've At first sight or hearing of good and noble
things; IL takes attention and effort to shake off
the strong suggestion of the words and to look
carefully at what they are used to express; and
most hearers and readers not willing to bestow
the required attention and effort
Only when material circumstances are so mani
festly al variance with fineness and nobility that no
one can mistake their actual meaning in special
and precise are these words free" and Liberal"
robbed of the overtones which make them potntia
decelyerS and instructors of the mind. We know
tbut a foreigner would not know that we are not
praising the housebreaker when say that "he
took his time sat in the living ROOM and was very
free in the of both my books and my cigars" We
understand tbut foreigner would not understand)
the unpraiseful meaning of the remark made by
prisoner to the Judge who has just sentenced him
to 20 years in Jail, Your Honor you very liberal
in the bestowal of my time
And there arc words which ought to have an evil
meaning, but which through constant use in good
sense have lost that meaning, and which therefore
blunt the accuracy of the mind in choosing terms of
expression. one such word is the noun pride" with
its objective proud" low often do find the word
pride used something fine and good; as fact,
pride is the fouest of sins. A father will say MY
boys work al school is of great pride TO
me" He MEANS of course, Joy" or satisfaction he
certainly does not mean pride" We hear such com
ment as, He takes a pardonabe pride in his accom-
pliShment" OF course, he doesn't, for pride is
pardonabe, what is meant is that the is pleased
or delighted with what he has achieved
II Is good thing now and again TO check on our
familiar phrases and on those constantly heard or
seen in print Language which is the expression of
thinking is inevitably the suggestion of further
thinking, and very often of crooked and damaging
thinking. Is progressive education really progress
i've? Is progress always an advance towards truth
or WORTH Is prosperity always prosperity-n view
of eternity? We must make words servants not
our masters, they are continually getting above
themselves and seeking to master the thought they
are meant TO serve.