The limits of my language mean the limits of my world. (5.6)
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The scope of what we can express defines the scope of what we can perceive or understand.
- In plain terms
- Your language limits what you can understand about the world.
- What can you take from it?
- Expand your vocabulary to expand your world.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What ideas are hard for you to express?
- How does language shape your thoughts?
Another view
Non-linguistic experiences might extend beyond language limits.
More from Ludwig Wittgenstein
If I cannot say a priori what elementary propositions there are, then the attempt to do so must lead to obvious nonsense. (5.5571)
Permalink to quote #23 Logic pervades the world: the limits of the world are also its limits. So we cannot say in logic, 'The world has this in it, and this, but not that.' For that …
Permalink to quote #25 Propositions are truth-functions of elementary propositions. (An elementary proposition is a truth-function of itself.) (5)
Permalink to quote #22
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