"Mark Tiller" <mtiller at ntlworld.com> writes: > >Unfortunately I'm not sure I can describe it properly... it's like > having a 3-dimensional modelling program in one's head. >It isn't just > working with visual symbols (i.e., a visual language), it's having a > representation of an object, or several >objects within a space, and > being able to manipulate that representation in the same way one might > physically manipulate >the objects themselves. For me, at least, there > is no language involved. > > I know exactly what you're talking about, I do it all the time. > > I'm going to have to disagree with Steven, Language is NOT how we think, > it's how we communicate. We think at the subconcious level in the > Pictures, Sounds and Feelings at least that's how memory is organised. > We may CHOOSE at the concious level to verbalise our thoughts, it's good > if we are trying to follow a logic chain. But thinking in pictures is > much faster as in a picture's worth a thousand words. Sure, maybe a picture is worth 1000 words. But... 1. Only the thousand words that describe *that picture*. 2. It takes about 30k of bandwidth to deliver that 6k worth of content :-). (I say this as a photographer, most of shose bandwidth is expended serving pictures, often at more than 30k each....) > P.S. Kat, the ability you describe is regarded as a prerequisite for > being a good computer programmer...or at least for findig it easy. I'm a counterexample. To me "non-verbal thought" is an oxymoron. Writing badly is to me a clear sign of thinking unclearly. And so forth. (Professional software developer since I was 15 years old, in 1969). I also do reasonably well taking things apart and putting them together, for that matter. I think it's why I can often give *useful instructions* about this stuff to other people. -- David Dyer-Bennet, dd-b at dd-b.net / New TMDA anti-spam in test John Dyer-Bennet 1915-2002 Memorial Site http://john.dyer-bennet.net Book log: http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/Ouroboros/booknotes/ New Dragaera mailing lists, see http://dragaera.info