The issue of whether language influences the way we think or not is quite complicated. It is usually rather obvious that the way we think influences the language that we use in order to communicate and share our thoughts and ideas with other people. But it is a different ball game altogether when the vice versa comes to play. In my opinion, whether language influences the way a people speaking a particular language think solely depends on the words that they use and their meaning in general terms. A word or phrase may have different meanings depending on the language of the people using it. For instance, though a phrase may have an innocent outlook when used as part of the language in one community, it may evoke a negative perception when used in another language. This phrase, therefore, influences the thoughts that are tagged along with its usage.
As with culture, I think that it has a significant relationship with the thoughts and ideas that are shared by a group of people speaking a particular language. In my opinion, language affects our relationships with people and the environment. The relationship created through language in turn influence how we live, upholding different values while dismissing others. The values that we share form a foundation for what we socially and religiously believe in which constitutes the cultures that we subscribe to. I am; therefore, of the opinion that though the effects of language and culture are contentious and a subject of discussion and further research, the language used still has a way of influencing how we think and the habits, traditions, and the lifestyle that we lead.
