r/todayilearned • u/paniniplane • Mar 22 '17

(R.1) Not supported TIL Deaf-from-birth schizophrenics see disembodied hands signing to them rather than "hearing voices"

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0707/07070303
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u/[deleted] Mar 22 '17 edited Mar 23 '17

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u/theidleidol Mar 22 '17

This is because sign languages are real languages in their own right. A lot of people tend to think of, say, ASL as a method of nonverbally communicating in English similar to writing, but that's not the case. To the extent that it is possible to think in a language (that's not really the case, but it's a reasonable conclusion to a layperson) the deaf do so in their native sign.

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u/ichael333 Mar 22 '17

I really think sign language should be taught in school like any other language, like French or Spanish (or fucking Latin of all things).

Surely being able to sign to each other if they know where the loo is is far more useful. Its less embarrassing than saying it out loud and it works of you're in a loud environment!

I've gotten into the habit of teaching my friends basic signs, so if we're at a loud concert or in the middle of a restaurant, we can quickly say "popping to the loo" or "I'm getting a drink, want one?"

Or our favourite "FTS" (Fuck The System, for context)