Katawa Shoujo Forums

How to people who were born deaf, think?
Like, when you are to think, you would probably think with words depending on what your language is.
But how would someone, who has never heard a single word in any language say to themselves "Hm, am i in the mood for chocolate, or vanilla?"
This came up cause i was wondering what would have happened if the MC had another sort of disability. As i was going through the list and deaf came out, it made all sorts of confusion.

Given that deaf people usually learn to read or write no better or worse than people with hearing, I don't really see any problems with that...

Edit:
To elaborate, I don't have any sounds in my head when thinking either, and I have very acute hearing for someone my age - at least that's what the doc told me at my last checkup...

Souls wrote:How to people who were born deaf, think?
Like, when you are to think, you would probably think with words depending on what your language is.
But how would someone, who has never heard a single word in any language say to themselves "Hm, am i in the mood for chocolate, or vanilla?"
This came up cause i was wondering what would have happened if the MC had another sort of disability. As i was going through the list and deaf came out, it made all sorts of confusion.

Well, what i think is that, if they are deaf from birth,
from young when they learn words (written not spoken), it will be associated with pictures/ things.
Hence, as they mature, most likely they will associate the image of a particular thing; TO the word itself.
And sign with their hands.

For example, when we think, we sound off the pronunciation of the words.
When those who are deaf think, they think with images/ stuff that are associated with the word

So if they thinking whether they want chocolate or vanilla?
They will think,

Chocolate (picture)
Vanilla (picture)
? (picture)
then,

Snelx wrote:

Souls wrote:How to people who were born deaf, think?
Like, when you are to think, you would probably think with words depending on what your language is.
But how would someone, who has never heard a single word in any language say to themselves "Hm, am i in the mood for chocolate, or vanilla?"
This came up cause i was wondering what would have happened if the MC had another sort of disability. As i was going through the list and deaf came out, it made all sorts of confusion.

Well, what i think is that, if they are deaf from birth,
from young when they learn words (written not spoken), it will be associated with pictures/ things.
Hence, as they mature, most likely they will associate the image of a particular thing; TO the word itself.
And sign with their hands.

For example, when we think, we sound off the pronunciation of the words.
When those who are deaf think, they think with images/ stuff that are associated with the word

So if they thinking whether they want chocolate or vanilla?
They will think,

Chocolate (picture)
Vanilla (picture)
? (picture)
then,

I see, that makes alot of sense. Sorta feel stupid for not realizing it myself.
It would be pretty interesting if Hisao was deaf from birth, there would be thousands of doodles throughout the whole thing.

Words are just a form of conveyance. There are things that a deaf person might have trouble understanding such as tone (aside from actually feeling it) but outside of that they can easily learn what they want to convey. There are studies where babies are easier to understand through sign language, some mothers teach their kids sign language so they can sign if they are hungry or have shit in their diaper. Like if you had a candy bar, I punched you in the face, and pointed at your candy bar, what is the immediate message even though there wasn't a single word said?

I, for one, don't know how exactly my thoughts work. I could say it's as if words were popping up in my mind, but they aren't being read or spoken, at least not in any particular voice. It's af it it was a... semi-sound? That said, deaf people could say "hmm chocolate" to themselves through imagination or written words.

Souls wrote:How to people who were born deaf, think?

I guess in that case, you could make the just-as-ridiculous claim that babies can't think either, since they don't know any languages.

Your thoughts are not actually words, you know. Most of the time if you're thinking about something, it's not in words.
When you're walking down the street, you are not thinking "Oh gee I sure am hungry, maybe I should eat something," or "I have to go to the store," you just know it. We commonly associate thinking with language, because that is how thoughts are portrayed in media. However, nobody actually thinks in a 24/7 constant monologue to themselves. Thoughts are much more abstract than that.

Yuno wrote:

Souls wrote:How to people who were born deaf, think?

I guess in that case, you could make the just-as-ridiculous claim that babies can't think either, since they don't know any languages.

Your thoughts are not actually words, you know. Most of the time if you're thinking about something, it's not in words.
When you're walking down the street, you are not thinking "Oh gee I sure am hungry, maybe I should eat something," or "I have to go to the store," you just know it. We commonly associate thinking with language, because that is how thoughts are portrayed in media. However, nobody actually thinks in a 24/7 constant monologue to themselves. Thoughts are much more abstract than that.

Yeah, that goes for more or less "subconscious" thinking. But right now, I'm thinking about what to write, and the words I think of resonate in my head with their sound. Deaf people probably see the words written in their head, I'd guess, at least when writing their thoughts down. In personal communication maybe they think in sign language ...

Prospektor wrote: Yeah, that goes for more or less "subconscious" thinking. But right now, I'm thinking about what to write, and the words I think of resonate in my head with their sound. Deaf people probably see the words written in their head, I'd guess, at least when writing their thoughts down. In personal communication maybe they think in sign language ...

What i think is that, in the first time when they learn 'words', i'm sure images are 'attached' or shown to them what the words mean.
hence i think they would be thinking more about the images the word they wanted to say, than the words itself.
because without sound, words are just symbols to them. Foreign.


---------



Rather than born deaf, i'm more curious about those who born blind.

I did some research some time ago, they state those who born blind does have certain kind of image they visualize about their objects and surroundings.
And yes, they do dream too. What they 'sees' in their dream, is something different from what we sees in our dream.

I cannot imagine what kind of images they have in their mind.
About how trees look like, how sky looks like, how humans looks like.
How internet looks like..

I feel heart wreak thinking about this

It's an interesting question and to throw confusion into the fire there have been some very surprising results in neruosience as recently electronic hearing implants have let deaf people hear.

Oddly enough, some of them born deaf and learning English sign/language/lip reading, upon getting the implant and hearing for the first time (there are some videos on youtube) actually understand auditory English and can fully comprehend what is being said.

There are a ton of theories flying around as to what is going on, but we still know so little about the brain.

I've heard that a lot of people born deaf think in sign language.