Anyone else wonder what blindness from birth would be like?

[metalangel]

When I was younger I found that I could navigate around my house with my eyes closed. When my parents were away I turned off all the lights and made my way from the bottom floor to the top (four flights of stairs) with a deliberate detour around the living room, into the bathroom, showered, changed for bed, got into bed. I didn't bump anything hard or break anything (me or otherwise), it was a very unusual experience.

I wonder if being blind from birth you have a lot of practice, especially as a baby, getting used to knowing your way around?

[FissionXMailed]

How can we know? We cant even relate to that, if one has ever seen something he cannot unsee it, so one cant actually wonder how blindness from birth would be like.

Yea. It's one of those things people who have vision can't really relate to. I mean sure you can blindfold yourself or cover/close your eyes; however, you'll still have those memories before. The only personal thing I can say is it's basically just try and experience the world without any vision which again is kinda hard.

Its like asking 'How does a fish feel out of water".

It feels like asthma. (I know since I have asthma and have had bad attacks when I was younger.)

[Tomate]

It feels like asthma. (I know since I have asthma and have had bad attacks when I was younger.)

Ashtma makes it hard to breath, but a fish out of water has more problems than that.

Suddenly it cant feel the water moving around him, he cant swim just twitch and jump, it becomes aware of gravity pushing him downwards, skin becomes drier and drier, eyes become itchy, it gets colder then warmer and warmer....

[NoOne3]

I think blind people associate color with feelings or situations, as green=nature, calm. And so on.
Thats what I would do anyways.

I always wonder why do it.
Sure, I guess I would try to make some associations, but it would be a culture thing, to understand what I'm reading, or talking about. But there's no use for me to imagine colours if I'm blind. Even now I guess I don't appreciate colours as much, as I'm supposed to, though I'm confirmed not to be colour-blind in any degree.

And, for especially eager I have a thought-experiment. Instead of the fish comparison.

Let's say You meet Mo.
Mo is a little green man from Mars (yeah, antennas, long fingers, totally oldshool sci-fi).
He talks with you in perfect english, and suddenly realise you cannot blor. Bloring allows him to detect quantum state of electrons in molecules. He's using it to navigate around by looking into a future for a second ahead to avoid getting hit by a car and additionally prevailing quantum state in things is subjected to estetical consideration and also associated with feelings for him.
Like, if someone dies, you should wear clothes with a certain electron spin, to show you're mourning, and so.
Mo's very understanding, but his curiosity pushes him to ask you a question:
What do you blor if you cannot?

Yeah, I know, too much Heinlein lately, I will stop now.

[FissionXMailed]

It feels like asthma. (I know since I have asthma and have had bad attacks when I was younger.)

Ashtma makes it hard to breath, but a fish out of water has more problems than that.

Suddenly it cant feel the water moving around him, he cant swim just twitch and jump, it becomes aware of gravity pushing him downwards, skin becomes drier and drier, eyes become itchy, it gets colder then warmer and warmer....

Ha good point. It was the best analogy I could ever think of when my friends asked me to describe an asthma attack.