factual

Abstract concepts are no harder than concrete ones

There is no reason to believe that the way we understand a concrete concept like 'cat' is any easier than how we understand an abstract concept like 'honesty'; the untutored intuition that concrete words are the easy case is unwarranted, since we do not actually understand how either is processed.

factualpending

Speaker

David Poeppel

Evidence Quote

They're not easy and they're not easier. There's no reason to believe that the way we understand "cat" is easier than the way we understand "honesty."

Source

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

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