Ivory Tower

Today I’m into linguistic anthropology. I read about the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, the “argument that language shape[s] the world rather than simply reflecting it” (Michael Agar’s Language Shock, p. 66), the example of the difference between how the Hopi and English languages treat time, and the subsequent difference in how their speakers see the world.

I think, “here’s something I can really get into, something I could make part of an academic career.” Then my mind goes on to imagine the studies, the work, and the use of this career. That’s when my excitement wanes. It’s not that I imagine I’d lose interest, but it’s the “use” of that career. I can’t help but think I’d be unsatisfied with its practical productivity, my lack of any “real” skills or knowledge.