Sure we can think without words.

Emotions are thoughts without words.

However words and soundare usually necessary to communicate or express our thoughts to others.

Language is limited...if as timeline says...you can't find the words toexpress how u feel...maybe it is not meant to be...and to express the feeling you search and search but end up "lost" and "confused" because those are the only words that can now describe the place you are at...

So in searching for the words to desribe the thought/feeling..you end up losing it...

Scared of the unknown perhaps which is why we try to "control" everything and attemp to "direct" our experiences...every thought and/or feeling is not rational and follow logic...

Plus doesn't language come in the afterthought...that is...you have a thought or feeling in that spilt second then u attempt to communicate that to yourself through words...

Taking things in through your five senses...everything doesn't registerconsciously but in turn would place itself in your subconscious..so wouldn't that hold a lot more information than your conscious mind...so perhaps when it reaches your conscious mind it has developed into words...

Like right now...Iknow whatI'm thinking but I can't communicate it in words because Language is limited..oh well...enough of my scattered thoughts in words...

And some people think in pictures/visual images...

@blackmatta

Maybe a better word is "understanding" it through words...like unexplained phenomenon that happens...unable to use words to describe that particular phenomenon...so language is perhaps a key to understanding within self...also perhaps feeling better about yourself...

@timeline

cogito ergo sum...

You could perhaps take this topic into the spiritual realms...I could say our level of understanding is purely physical...so we can understand things through language as this is a tangible communication...

Universal understanding is not as tangible..which perhaps is a reason many religions and/or scienceare misunderstood because the thought behindit is not communicated well in language and can be misinterpreted for personal use...

SO perhaps a universal truth surrounding the make-up of the world does exist and is not dependent on time or space...and is communicated to us through our thoughts...but we cannot break it down into language and hence understand it...

Maybe animals have an intrinsic understanding of nature and self and have no need for the use of language...

Maybe humans being one of few "intelligent beings" as is always said is overrated...

Maybe animals do communicate...

I couldn't tell ya which one is 100% right...However I would think animals did have a form of communication/language...

Their is instinct and then their is thought . Animals have instinct but no thoughts, we have both.

@timeline

That is what I was trying to get at...flipping language blkheadbangLOL

But we are focused on trying to communicate it through language which is why it is not understood fully and stops us from understanding it the first instance...

@Taysense

So would you say...our instincts is language(less) but out thoughts are made up of words?

Thoughts aren't always words.



When you and a person who speaks another language see a traffic light turn red, you both stop (hopefully).

You call it red and the other person calls it something else, but neither of you are actually thinking "red/ ****" you both just automatically think to stop your cars.

Only if you both are asked todescribe what color you see do words begin to form in your mind in order to express your answer.



Words aren't necessary for thinking, only for expression.