The language of reason and intellect expresses logical thinking, and the language of emotion and sensation expresses feelings, and they complement each other, not oppose each other, to shape character and personality. In the modern world, it is important to balance these two linguistic abilities, which allows us to realize a richness of expression and understanding.
What do people express with language? When it comes to the content of language, there are two main perspectives: one is to express reason or intellect, and the other is to express emotion or sensation. The language of reason and intellect is the logical and organized expression of thoughts, while the language of emotion and sensation is the expression of human feelings, sensations, or lyrical moods or mental states. These two elements must be honed to achieve linguistic maturity. The recent emphasis on both IQ and EQ is because both are important. However, while intellect and emotion can be thought of separately, they are not opposites, they are not separate, and they are both important components of character and personality.
When expressed through language, these two elements play an important role in many aspects of our lives. For example, in legal documents and scientific papers, rational and logical language is essential. Clarity and accuracy are important in these documents, and emotional expressions are often excluded. On the other hand, in artistic expressions, such as literary works or poetry, emotions and sentiments have an important place. These works appeal to the reader’s emotions and focus on exploring the complexity of the human experience. Therefore, the linguistic expression of reason and emotion can vary in importance depending on the context, and it is important to distinguish between them and use them appropriately.
The human intellect is, after all, a linguistic intellect. Our thoughts and concepts are shaped by linguistic activity. Our ability to think and reason rationally is only possible because of language. In other words, the human intellect is a language-enforced intellect. We live by listening to and utilizing the content of our native language. In the modern age, where so many different thoughts flow and flow in waves, the wisdom of using years of knowledge in the past no longer works, and the scope of understanding has widened. Therefore, it is now necessary to be aware of the intellect and emotions that one feels with one’s own thoughts, not with the thoughts of others.
What should we do to train ourselves to speak the right language of reason and intellect? In this matter, we should keep the following points in mind. First, we need to deepen our thinking. This means thinking in concrete terms. For example, when we say, “Dong Zhu is well-groomed,” we think of how he never wears his hat at an angle, never buttons his school uniform at an angle, never has the knees of his suit pants sticking out, and his shoes are always clean. Second, broaden your narrow mindset. This means thinking from the opposite or other perspectives, and thinking about the limits of your own thinking: questioning, re-questioning, organizing, and critiquing the status quo, being specific and precise, not vague and abstract. Thinking deeply and broadly is the foundation of intelligent language use.
Good rational thinking requires a corresponding emotion. In other words, good rational thinking requires not only rationality, but also good emotions. No matter how much you know and how good your judgment is, if you don’t have the right emotions, you can’t make objective rational judgments. This is because emotions are the most important factor that determines humanity. If children are not provided with an emotional environment in their upbringing, that is, if emotional education is absent from their education, no matter how much knowledge they acquire and how good their judgment is, they will be defective in their overall ability to think normally and rationally.
Furthermore, in the modern world, a balance of emotions and intellect is more important than ever. In a world of information overload, it’s not enough to simply accumulate knowledge; you need emotional intelligence to know how to interpret and utilize that knowledge. For example, businesses demand creative and innovative thinking, which is the result of a combination of emotional intuition and imagination, not just knowledge. Honing both intellectual and emotional languages is becoming essential for personal growth and societal development.
The language of the intellect and the language of the heart are not divisible, although their tendencies can be thought of as such. I think it is an exquisite combination of the language of intellect and the language of emotion. As I encounter works that are the height of intellectual imagination and creativity, based on a wealth of knowledge, I dream of a new emotional intellectual in this era. This is true not only in writing, but also in speaking. It should be our goal and ideal to be able to speak a language of rich emotional expression, free from prejudice, preconceived notions, stereotypes, etc., and to be able to describe phenomena accurately, logically and rationally, but with warmth.
