still don't know anything either
bob - I don't understand the difference between autism and happiness half the time, but at least I understand that I don't understand that and that in itself represents something of a breakthrough (in either the field of autism or the field of happiness, depending of course on your theoretical orientation to the issue).
bob - I don't understand how language works. How do words "mean" anything? What does "mean" mean?
Notsu - I believe you haven't met many autistic people, cause autistic people are generally unhappy - they don't fit in our world and most of them live in fear and confusion day by day.
Language is a system of symbols. Words don't mean anything but refer to certain things and the connection between the word and the thing it refers to is typically arbitrary ... and I find it difficult to explain it in English..
Whatever.. It's funny you chose these two questions to ask me, cause I've studied linguistics as well as worked with autistic kids.
bob - OK so words don't "mean" anything, people "mean" things and use words to refer to those things. The word "cup" refers to a drinking utensil but doesn't "mean" drinking utensil unless someone happens to use the word in that sense. Of course, they could just as likely use the word as a verb as in "Cup my balls baby" but that would be obscene and somehow inappropriate to a discussion of linguistic subtlties. And one might be left wondering whether it is perhaps possible to organize words according to the dictates of logic and grammar but still not "mean" a goddamn thing. I dunno, like, I just dunno, you know?
guangtou - I think I understand tinea. Got that under wraps. It comes and goes on my feet with my level of depression (lowers my resistance), and how often I use the skanky showers at the NTU gym. I use this blue cream that my local pharmacist gave me for a couple of days, and soon enough, it's gone. PM me for ANY question related to Hong Kong foot, crutch rot or ringworm (which is actually a form of tinea fungus). Apart from that, I haven't got a clue about anything. I'm an idiot.
bob - I don't understand how language works. How do words "mean" anything? What does "mean" mean?
Notsu - I believe you haven't met many autistic people, cause autistic people are generally unhappy - they don't fit in our world and most of them live in fear and confusion day by day.
Language is a system of symbols. Words don't mean anything but refer to certain things and the connection between the word and the thing it refers to is typically arbitrary ... and I find it difficult to explain it in English..
Whatever.. It's funny you chose these two questions to ask me, cause I've studied linguistics as well as worked with autistic kids.
bob - OK so words don't "mean" anything, people "mean" things and use words to refer to those things. The word "cup" refers to a drinking utensil but doesn't "mean" drinking utensil unless someone happens to use the word in that sense. Of course, they could just as likely use the word as a verb as in "Cup my balls baby" but that would be obscene and somehow inappropriate to a discussion of linguistic subtlties. And one might be left wondering whether it is perhaps possible to organize words according to the dictates of logic and grammar but still not "mean" a goddamn thing. I dunno, like, I just dunno, you know?
guangtou - I think I understand tinea. Got that under wraps. It comes and goes on my feet with my level of depression (lowers my resistance), and how often I use the skanky showers at the NTU gym. I use this blue cream that my local pharmacist gave me for a couple of days, and soon enough, it's gone. PM me for ANY question related to Hong Kong foot, crutch rot or ringworm (which is actually a form of tinea fungus). Apart from that, I haven't got a clue about anything. I'm an idiot.
posted by david at 10:44 PM
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