Response On Signs And Symbols

In Signs and Symbols there is major differences in how animals and humans use signs and symbols. Langer states that " a signs causes us to think or act in face of the thing signified, whereas a symbol causes us to think about the think symbolized." She also explains how we use both signs and symbols and how animals only use signs to communicate and read thier surroundings. I believe this to be very true, and it is amazing to think that we can still communicate with an animal even though the do not speak, thanks to signs. It's also curious to me why can't animals use symbols too? What makes them not understand the concept of symbols? Or if there is any possible way for them to learn symbols? It may just be that animals simply cannot grasp language which most definitly separates humans from animals. As Langer says " The birth of language is the dawn of humanity." By using our words to symbolize a feeling or concept humans can easily communicate and acually think and contemplate over something. Which is trully great because it sets us apart form any living thing on this planet, and makes each and every one of us different because we can think about different things and like different things. It's scary to think, what if we couldn't use symbols? The human race would probly resemble any animal group found in the world. It really makes me think about the other differences humans and animals have. One difference I especially like is how animals evolve to suit thiere needs in the wild, whereas humans evolve the things around us to adapt to our needs. Its possible that humans are able to adapt the things around us because we can use symbols in such a way that we find new ways to do things by thinking or talking about the problem that faces us to make our lives more comfortable. For me i think this essay really stresses the importance of language and where humans would be without it, and also the differences in how animals and humans comunicate and understand things using signs and symblos.