this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2023
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For me, it was the combination of two Linguistic tidbits of info, from uni classes:
I won't go further on what those posh words mean because they were just the "trigger". What changed the way that I perceive things was that, by their powers combined, I realised that there's a deep distinction between
and that we should never mix both things inside our heads.
I love this ! I sont exactly know the meaning of these words, but the idea itself is crystal clear !
The posh words? They aren't too important, but:
Modality is how a language allows you to talk about either reality or your attitude towards something (all languages do it). It's split into a bunch of categories, but the biggest ones are
In the meantime, a grammar for any given language can be either
You probably noticed that the underlying distinction between epistemic vs. deontic is the same as the one between descriptive and prescriptive. That was what "clicked" me years ago, that made me realise that this distinction is everywhere. And that, if we want clarity of reasoning, we should keep this distinction in mind.
I used to mix them up. Once I learned the difference and started making effort to communicate clearly then I began being seen as promotion material in my industry
It has also a big impact in our personal lives. For example, it's damn easier to avoid wishful thinking and doomerism if you keep them distinct, because then you start asking yourself "is this what I really see? Or am I letting my wishes and fears cloud my mind?".