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Confronting the Limits of Self-Expression

The inexplicable loneliness we sometimes feel might be due to the fact that verbal discourse fails to capture the complexity of our actual neurological states. Paul Churchland, for example, suggests that the two hemispheres of our brains communicate with a much more intricate and intimate “language” than we do with each other. On the other hand, some philosophers claim that language doesn’t gain its meaning from our internal experience at all, but from the public use of our words. In this scenario, the world guides invention. Either way, these two positions both lead to the same conclusion: there’s a lot of stuff that goes on inside us that we just can’t communicate to other people. It’s either beyond language altogether, or it’s beyond the language we currently have. So, these feelings of loneliness may just be our confrontation with the limits of self-expression.

Lindsay Deen:

October 11, 2013 at 2:05 pm

Perhaps our goal should be to create new ways to express our neurological experiences to more effectively communicate meaning. I believe this is the function of art, and any activity, when undertaken with the right mindset, can be art. Language can be used to create art, just as a few Popsicle sticks and glue can create art. All humans experience this feeling of isolation, so in a way, I think we are all united in this commonality. All of us are capable of expressing our inner workings through some medium.

Kyle York:
October 17, 2013 at 10:49 pm
I think the implications of a 'neuro-language', for stuff like marriage and counseling, would be phenomenal as well.

Nadine Ollier:

October 9, 2013 at 2:47 am

Language is a formal use of symbolism, which creates different meanings depending on the receiver. So communication follows in an effort to be understood. Does this alleviate the sense of loneliness one can feel without an absolute witness to the inner self? Maybe. I think this is where spirituality is essential for humanity and personal hope. With communion to one's God, validation occurs in ways one can not convey to one's fellow man. Good writing as usual, Kyle.

Bob Jacobs:

October 8, 2013 at 2:00 pm

We do not have access to our brain's internal states--no one can tell me, right now, what your amygdala is doing--no interoception for such activity. Language is our normal way of sharing "consciousness," that is, a way to share what is in our heads with other individuals. It is not a terribly accurate or efficient system, and it certainly fails in major ways from time to time, but it still works. The arts provide other ways of sharing consciousness, as do different sensory systems (e.g., touch). Of course, then there is twitter....