factual

Familiarity with language breeds false expertise

Because everyone speaks a language and has powerful intuitions about it, the public treats itself as expert and an astonishing amount of nonsense is promulgated about language—whereas no one disputes that we have a dedicated visual system, even though both are equally products of the vertebrate brain.

factualpending

Speaker

David Poeppel

Evidence Quote

as soon as we talk language, everyone is an expert. Everyone speaks a language. Everyone has a powerful intuition, and the amount of nonsense promulgated, it's astonishing.

Source

15 | David Poeppel on Thought, Language, and How to Understand the BrainSean Carroll's Mindscape
Created: 6/13/2026, 12:19:52 AM

My Notes

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