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Motivations for becoming a polyglot | ||
Tags: Polyglot | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| renaissancemedi Bilingual Triglot Senior Member Greece Joined 4162 days ago 941 posts - 1309 votes  Speaks: Greek*, Ancient Greek*, EnglishC2 Studies: French, Russian, Turkish, Modern Hebrew | Message 41 of 60 05 October 2013 at 7:55am | IP Logged | |||||||||||
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Science and philosophy used to be one and the same, a few thousand years ago, and that says something. Somewhere along the way they separated, but so what? I always loved the humanist and "renaissance man" ideal, and I insist that people can be both philosophers and scientists if they want to. It's just that knowledge today is so vast, that it is difficult to be everything. Think of Pythagoras(math, philosophy,music), Aristotle (everything really) and the rest of those ancient guys. How can one put barriers in one's thought and feelings? Yes, I said feelings :) Having said that, and strictly in my opinion, the love of knowledge is what makes the human brain create all sorts of things, and what is the love of knowledge, or wisdom, other than philosophy?
Isn't there a standard definition of the word "intellectual"? Edited by renaissancemedi on 05 October 2013 at 7:57am 5 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||||||||
| tarvos Super Polyglot Winner TAC 2012 Senior Member China likeapolyglot.wordpr Joined 4511 days ago 5310 posts - 9399 votes Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish | Message 42 of 60 05 October 2013 at 9:51am | IP Logged | |||||||||||
Because it is ridiculous that reading a more or less arbitrary set of old books gets you called intellectual when intellect has nothing to do with whether you read Shakespeare (whom I have read and liked), or Cervantes (whom I haven't). I think it is much more disparaging from your side that you disqualify the intellect of people who do not, in and of themselves, have a reason to want to read "intellectual" books when that doesn't really make one intellectual, just a lover of classic literature. Which is fine, but we're not stupid because we didn't do this. You may hate that or love that about me, but I don't really care. I will move forward and if I haven't read Proust then that doesn't take my intellectual capacity down a notch. Thank you. Edited by tarvos on 05 October 2013 at 9:52am 7 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||||||||
| lichtrausch Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 5764 days ago 525 posts - 1072 votes Speaks: English*, German, Japanese Studies: Korean, Mandarin | Message 43 of 60 05 October 2013 at 5:10pm | IP Logged | |||||||||||
That's a nice-sounding aphorism which upon closer inspection is a half-truth. What's the point you're trying to make?
The human mind had thousands of years to tell us what it means to human, and what did it come up with? It came up with some useful insights via philosophy, but also countless superstitions and falsities, especially on the biggest and most important questions. Is there an afterlife? What are we made of? Are there any universal laws of the universe? How did the universe begin? Without the help of science, humans could do nothing but make up stuff to answer these questions. I consider these questions to be incredibly important "real questions" on what it means to be human.
Good for you. 3 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||||||||
| simonov Senior Member Portugal Joined 5393 days ago 222 posts - 438 votes Speaks: English | Message 44 of 60 05 October 2013 at 6:16pm | IP Logged | |||||||||||
Before attacking people, read what they've written. Where have I said anything about intellectual? Or disqualified your intellect? Nowhere. I haven't read Proust either, not my cup of tea, but I have read a whole lot of those "old and dusty books". Old, yes, but not dusty, and I've found most of them a really good read. If I don't like a book I chuck it, classic or contemporary makes no difference. I just happen to like reading what to me are interesting, well written books. No need for you to disparagingly call people "lovers of classic literature" just because they happen to like books you don't. And I like speaking foreign languages. Therefore your "babbling" irritated me, because in my book only babies babble. You want to be taken seriously, then refrain from belittling yourself that way. And don't cite Latin that has nothing to do with the content of your posting. 8 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||||||||
| Juаn Senior Member Colombia Joined 5149 days ago 727 posts - 1830 votes Speaks: Spanish* | Message 45 of 60 05 October 2013 at 8:02pm | IP Logged | |||||||||||
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When one speaks of an intellectual in this context it is generally meant someone who is drawn to the great works of thought and literature, not one who makes use of his or her intellectual faculties for just any given purpose. It is in this sense in which the word is used in Spanish and French for instance, where no confusion arises when someone is declared one; it is generally assumed that this person is engaged with good books and ideas, and it would hardly occur to name one so who avers no interest and recognizes no value in them. It references a disposition rather than a capacity.
As a limiting case, one can imagine a very intellectual (used adjectivally) troglodyte. He would be able to perform any task with exceeding intelligence and aptness, yet perceive no distinction between a literary masterpiece and the weekly gossip. 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||||||||
| beano Diglot Senior Member United KingdomRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4426 days ago 1049 posts - 2152 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Russian, Serbian, Hungarian | Message 46 of 60 05 October 2013 at 10:27pm | IP Logged | |||||||||||
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Why is intellectualism (?) associated with reading old books? Can a contemporary writer not be more
insightful? 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||||||||
| tarvos Super Polyglot Winner TAC 2012 Senior Member China likeapolyglot.wordpr Joined 4511 days ago 5310 posts - 9399 votes Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish | Message 47 of 60 05 October 2013 at 11:50pm | IP Logged | |||||||||||
Newsflash to simonov. Don't take yourself so seriously. The rest of us don't either. It is a good thing I can think what my reasoning warrants for myself. I don't need a pretend upstart to tell me otherwise. 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||||||||
| montmorency Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4632 days ago 2371 posts - 3676 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Danish, Welsh | Message 48 of 60 06 October 2013 at 2:54am | IP Logged | |||||||||||
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HTLAL seems to have become a less kind and gentle place recently.
Is the spirit of Clugston getting about, somehow? That thread should have been closed and deleted. 9 persons have voted this message useful |
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