Steve Pinker has written extensively on this topic in The Stuff of Thought. Check out the second half of this TED talk, starting around 10:20:
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The basic idea is that our use of language is about negotiating interpersonal relationships. There are many ways to express the same idea, the differences among which imply different kinds of relationships and expectations. Watch the vid to learn why, for example, someone would say something as objectively absurd as "If you could pass the guacamole, that would be awesome."
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The basic idea is that our use of language is about negotiating interpersonal relationships. There are many ways to express the same idea, the differences among which imply different kinds of relationships and expectations. Watch the vid to learn why, for example, someone would say something as objectively absurd as "If you could pass the guacamole, that would be awesome."
