No one, absolutely no one, could live without language. Language has been the most consistent aspect in human life for many hundreds of thousands of years. Be it through stories told around a sacred fire, music performed for large numbers of people, or ancient paintings created by artists from a time long past. The world as it is now could not live without communication, oral, or otherwise. We thrive with it and starve without it. Language is the cause of all of our advancements, discoveries and even our very survival as humans and thinkers, it has given rise to conflict and times of peace, and without it we would be lost.
Over the past several months I have chosen to dedicate my time to the study of Language and it mysteries. Mostly I tried to study the effects of language on the world as it is today. But as I dug deeper into the language anomaly I found a study on how many of the world’s most ancient, and sacred languages are dying out. Native tongues all over the world (a lot in our own country) are weakening the ties of a culture in favor of a well known language, which they use to strengthen international bonds. Little do they know that the death of these natural based languages directly correlates with the worlds lessening understanding of nature and pristine world around us. When these languages die, a culture dies, a land dies and the world dies.
Maybe, if this decay of language continues, we will completely forget our bonds with the land. Abounding the semi natural life that most people in the world live today for one that is fake, a life devoid of the natural riches of the land; a life made of metal, plastic, smog and machine. It is a daunting prospect but it is one that we do face. If we take away these voices, voices of the land, voices who speak for the land, we will be signing our very own death warrants.
On the other hand the death of these languages, whale they will always be a terrible thing, may give rise to a greater form of being. If the whole world were to speak one language, one perfect language, humans may reach a heightened state of mind that will give rise to greater cognitive and creative skills. With this the world will live in perpetual harmony with one another and the human experience will be greatly increased. This language would be both a gift and a curse to humanity.
With this language the world would become one. All of its people would be able to communicate with one another, international unity would thrive and we may even reach a heightened state of mind. All of humanity would come to understand what it means to be not only a human on earth but also what it means to be human. Although the idea of the entire world working together is exciting, the world losing all of its 7,000 languages for the use of just one would mean that all of the cultures that make out world so unique would simply vanish. If the world were to use a perfect language then we must look at the pros and cons to understand whether or not the world needs such a change in culture.
This project has shown me that there are many sides, good sides, to both of these problems, though they completely contradict each other. But I think that the world would be greatly changed if either of these very important events comes to pass. Personally I have no idea what I want to happen with the linguistic world. I think that the loss of so many languages and cultures, through the death of language, would be absolutely devastating; but the prospect of living in a world where everyone is able to communicate and live life to the fullest would be amazing. Either way the world chooses to go there will be terrible consequences, but sometimes a risk must be taken to insure the prosperity of all.