Have You Ever Thought About Going Dumb?

[Humbleman]

I've never experienced this, and I most certainly wouldn't want to. :amazed: We can all agree that life would certainly be different if we couldn't communicate in the fashion in which we were naturally created to communicated.  :bored:What alternatives would you resort to? I think I would settle with writing; am not too much into sign language.

[Alrikidokie]

I think I would draw, every item has a concrete image that goes with it so whether it's a cat, gato, or neko you're going to be able to communicate that image. I think trying to sign the language would work to. In this day and age there are so many translation apps going dumb doesn't mean the same thing that it meant years ago.

[Trellum]

I'd mostly write or use sign language, but using sign language would require me to actually learn it... it would also require the others around me to learn it and that might cause a lot potential communication issues!  So I guess the best bet would be writing...  I can write in two languages, so it'd not be so bad!  I'd hate not being able to speak tho, trying to communicate my own ideas succesfully is hard enough in the spoken form... in the written form is even harder! 

I really hope I never lose my capacity to speak... ever! That would be terrible!  I love being able to talk, laugh, whisper and shout

[tarcon]

Sign language seems to be a great way to communicate, and I would recommend anyone pick it up. Its tough to learn anything if the need isn't really prevalent in your life, but you never know when it might come in handy.

[FatesWing]

What a sad thought, but is definitely a reality for many people in this day and age. Sign language is a great way to communicate as is writing. Since I do love writing, I agree that that would more than likely be my main way of communicating to those around me. I crave new ways to communicate though and that's why I am learning new languages. I wouldn't be against learning sign language at all!

[SpiralArchitect]

Why would you voluntarily want to go dumb? Just why?

[MyDigitalpoint]

Why would you voluntarily want to go dumb? Just why?

Good point! Nobody will do it voluntarily.

However if it would happen to me for something out of my control, I think I would go for writing.

This is something I have been doing for a lifetime and wouldn't impact that much my lifestyle, only that it would come to be a full-time option rather than a complementary option as it is now.

[littleredcookbook]

I've never experienced this, and I most certainly wouldn't want to. :amazed: We can all agree that life would certainly be different if we couldn't communicate in the fashion in which we were naturally created to communicated.  :bored:What alternatives would you resort to? I think I would settle with writing; am not too much into sign language.

I hate using my mouth to speak. My brain runs ten times faster than my mouth can and I fumble my speech all the time. I prefer using my fingers on a keyboard or my fingers/hands/arms with sign language. I have been doing all sorts of drawings and crafts, since I could first pick up a crayon, and expanded from there. My fingers are very quick, articulate and accurate and faced with a decision between my tongue stuttering uselessly inside my slow-motion lips, and my fingers flying over the keyboard to keep up with what my brain is doing? It's a no-brainer.

Sign language, while not an actual foreign language unless you're learning like... German sign language and you speak English natively, does open up millions of avenues of communication with people you may not have been able to speak with before. Many deaf people can read lips, but not everyone forms their words the same; and sign language is made up of precise hand movements and often includes simplifications of the spoken language so personally I'd find that easier if I couldn't hear and/or speak. (sign language is another thing I want to learn and study! I think it's hard for deaf and/or mute persons to be fully-included members of society, mostly because a lot of people are afraid of interacting with disabled persons, and instead of making effort, simply run away or ignore them. And that's awful. They're still people with opinions, thoughts, and dreams that are worth sharing, and they're worth getting to know.)

I would definitely miss singing, though. I love singing along to my favorite songs.

[sidney]

Well I think aside from speaking, I think writing would be the only way that you can properly communicate coherently especially if you're not deaf or mute. Of course there's also Braille, but you wouldn't want to go blind just to be able to learn how to use it right?

[sillylucy]

It would be so much fun to be thrown into an environment where I didn't speak the language. I would like to see how I react to that and how quickly I could learn words when force to. I would probably also feel alone because I wouldn't know how to communicate.

[True2marie]

I have a sister who did an intern with disabled people while in high school.  We practiced not speaking to each other in order to understand their world.  Losing one's ability to speak is MAJOR.  In order to communicate, we chose to sign to each other.  It was not an easy feat.

[Denis Hard]

Sign language is hard to learn and in any case not every one understands every thing someone communicating with sign language is trying to get across. For that reason therefore, I'd opt to walk around with a notepad and if I have something to say to someone, I'd pen something.

p.s There's someone I've heard of who could talk but didn't want to talk to anyone. He just wrote everything [he wanted to say to anyone] and if he walked into a store to buy stuff, he'd point at the items he wanted and never say a word. He'd just grunt if asked a question and so on. Talk of taking something too far!

[Baburra]

I have sometimes hypothesized about this too. I am terribly afraid of losing my mental capacities, and I hope it never happens for me. If it did, however, I am betting that I will still find a way to communicate as long as I can. Human beings are very resourceful.

[calticitron]

This is pretty much how I felt when I moved to Sweden, which is a country who really imposes the use of their own language on you. Knowing English would be beneficial when looking for work, of course, but they prefer people who speak Swedish. So, I started going to school and I was really bewildered to find out that they taught Swedish in Swedish. Sometimes, they would translate to English. Sometimes. So, for my other classmates who did not know how to speak English, the teachers would act out what the words meant like walking, running, talking, eating, and a lot more. It starts to get funny when they try to teach words like honest, nice, or irritating.

It would be so much fun to be thrown into an environment where I didn't speak the language. I would like to see how I react to that and how quickly I could learn words when force to. I would probably also feel alone because I wouldn't know how to communicate.

[Wanderer]

Why would you voluntarily want to go dumb? Just why?

For the same reason why some people think about what it would be like to be deaf or blind. It forces you out of the box of conventionality and into the prospect of using your other senses to compensate for your loss. It challenges people to realize all of potential they have that they're currently not using.

That's my take on it at least.

[JessiFox]

I really can't say that I've ever given it too much thought, except in how terrifying and isolating it could be. To not be able to communicate in the standard way? I certainly wouldn't volunteer for the position. However, if I were in that situation I suppose I would mostly write. I would learn sign language as well (I may do that anyway, honestly) but I don't think I'd feel comfortable or adept at using my hands as my primary means of communicating with others. Plus I can't lip read at all, and it seems that if you sign at all people expect that to come along in some sort of non-existent 'package deal' set up.

[lizbeth19hph]

I am a writer by profession and so writing is but natural for me. I never get bored with it nor I get bored reading my favorite books. Speaking a language is but essential for it's how we communicate with other people. Learning another language besides your mother tongue or second language can be fun,too and not merely because you are forced to learn it.

[Daimashin]

During some time in my life, I had thought about how nice it would be to not have to answer a lot of things. As I'm a person that doesn't like to talk so not being able to speak doesn't affect me much. I'll just write them instead.

[Rosa]

The thought of being dumb is actually an eye opener for me to stop and reflect on how blessed I am. Not sure what i'd do if this does happen but I wouldn't hesitate to learn sign language. Maybe i'd have to do a lot of gesturing and writing at first but in the end i wouldn't let being dumb keep me from communicating.

[LivetoErr]

No need to think about being dumb when you know you are. I used to think I was quite intelligent, until I tried to learn a second language. I have no idea why some people can grasp a new language without any trouble and I'm struggling more and more every day. It's not for a lack of trying either.

[fredkawig]

Body Language, Writing and using electronics to convey your message is very much possible and is easily understandable. Here in the 21st century, even mute people can talk with gadgets and the use of high-tech electronics. So I wouldn't worry about it.

[marmunmrhundun]

I agree with drawing, especially since I am a great drawer. If I ever lost my ability to communicate I would most likely resort to drawing as well. It would be entertaining and I am sure it would help me communicate as well.