Most of the time we are communicating (internal monologue) with ourselves which I’m sure shapes our thoughts. I’d guess a large percentage of that is through a language.
In fact languages codify a community’s culture, values, a way of life all of which go way beyond communication.
Imo the internal monologue is often about summarizing or sorting out something, while I’ve already figured it out non-verbally. Like a verbal confirmation. Though sometimes the internal monologue is about processing something and figuring stuff out.
> Though sometimes the internal monologue is about processing something and figuring stuff out
Indeed. And my non-expert assertion was that our brain doesn't compartmentalise between communication and thought processing. Our thoughts are getting shaped even as we are verbalising something. IMO it's a continuous stream of chatter of jumbled up things a part of which gets used to create/shape our thoughts.
Agreed. I used to think (haha) that I was thinking the thoughts I as thought them verbally, but as of late, I've come to realise that I've already had the thought as a sort of a series of perceptual flashes or traces, and when I think I'm thinking, I'm merely verbalising what I've already internally "perceived".
In fact languages codify a community’s culture, values, a way of life all of which go way beyond communication.