How language affects thinking

[ToaTokuchi]

Sapir–Whorf hypothesis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_relativity)

The idea of linguistic relativity, also known as the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis /səˌpɪər ˈhwɔːrf/ sə-PEER WHORF, the Whorf hypothesis, or Whorfianism, is a principle suggesting that the structure of a language influences its speakers' worldview or cognition, and thus individuals' languages determine or shape their perceptions of the world.

General semantics (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_semantics)

General semantics is concerned with how events translate to perceptions, how they are further modified by the names and labels we apply to them, and how we might gain a measure of control over our own cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses. Proponents characterize general semantics as an antidote to certain kinds of delusional thought patterns in which incomplete and possibly warped mental constructs are projected onto the world and treated as reality itself.

Piraha people (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirahã_people)

https://brightside.me/articles/why-the-piraha-people-live-in-the-moment-and-are-considered-the-happiest-in-the-world-799555/

    Piraha people believe that sleeping is harmful. They were shocked when they learned that some people sleep for 8 hours. They are sure that if you fall asleep for a long period, you might wake up a totally different person. However, there is also an opinion that this regimen was formed due to the fact that the area where these people live is teeming with snakes. Therefore, they sleep for 30 minutes and no more than 2 hours per night.
    They distinguish only light and dark colors. The Piraha mix up red and yellow colors as well as green and blue colors.
Usually, the representatives of primitive tribes would rather lose their life than lose their honor and respect. But Piraha people are different. They basically don’t understand what anger or resentment is. “If Haaiohaaa dropped the fish in the water, it is bad — no fish, no dinner. But surely it is not Haaiohaaa’s fault. Haaiohaaa simply dropped the fish into the water,” they might think.
    Words like “century,” “time,” and “history” are meaningless for the Piraha. Almost none of them remember their grandparents. When they are asked what was happening to their tribe before, they give a very laconic answer, “Everything is the same, things always are.”
    Mothers don’t tell their kids fairytales. Moreover, no one tells any kinds of stories here: the collective memory shapes up only based on the personal experience of the oldest current living member of the tribe.
    Also, Piraha people don’t know what guilt and shame are all about. A husband can easily dump his wife because she stopped being young and attractive. While the woman, in her turn, won’t be angry at him, but instead will say something like, “It happened because it happened, that’s it. It means it’s time to look for another man.”

 

[hyruga]

Yes language and culture affect the thinking of the particular community. I have been trying to compare between English and Chinese communities because I know both languages fairly well. 

Chinese are mostly up to stage orange only. There are hardly any talk about consciousness and psychedelics (because psy is banned). Buddhist scriptures are boring because they talk about suffering all the time and most Chinese don't bother about reading and talking about spirituality and consciousness.

So Chinese focus on getting material goods. The good videos are usually about how to get wealthy, how to be a bigger man and taking responsibility etc.

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As for the piranha people, they have much lower wisdom or lower scope of words to use but it can be a good thing for them sometimes because this means they can be less trapped by their own ego/thinking.