In her TED Talk, cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky explores how the languages we speak influence the way we perceive and think about the world. She presents fascinating examples from different cultures and languages to show that language doesn’t just express our thoughts—it actively shapes them.

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Boroditsky begins by comparing how various languages describe directions, time, colors, and even objects. For instance, some Aboriginal communities in Australia use cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) instead of left or right, giving them an extraordinary sense of orientation. Other languages assign gender to nouns, which can subtly influence how speakers describe or imagine objects.

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She also explains that speakers of different languages think about time differently: English speakers tend to see time horizontally (left to right), while Mandarin speakers often conceptualize it vertically (up and down). These linguistic differences show that people who speak different languages actually experience the world differently.

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Boroditsky concludes by emphasizing that language is one of humanity’s greatest tools—it gives us the ability to build and share complex ideas, but also shapes our thoughts in powerful, sometimes unseen ways. She invites the audience to appreciate linguistic diversity as a window into the vast range of human cognition.

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