Whoever Controls Language Controls Thought
This Nextrix use of they with a singular antecedent has been intentionally promoted by the Illiterate Liberal Language Lords in the paid media in order to cripple thought patterns. The difference between singular and plural cannot be blended without literally causing brain damage. He had always been used for "he or she" and originally meant that, (the unnecessary word she, with its mangled inflection (Why isn't it "she, shis, shim?) was thrown in later, creating a Pandora's box). He basically means "this person," just as the related word here means "this place."
So the attack on he is motivated by the Femininny desire to emasculate us. Using "they" with a singular attacks individualism. Mixing up singular and plural dumbs us down. All these effects have happened, so language does contribute.
Another example is using a pejorative word like "pollution" to describe neutral by-products. The result of that language-bending is that opponents of the Unabomber Cult can only say that it is a necessary evil that is not so harmful, "even though still harmful," that we have to depress the economy to get rid of it.
But because that forced term limits thought, it is hard to convince victims of language control to believe that "pollution" has been beneficial. It destroys viruses and had prevented pandemics for 100 years until the Lethal Lockdown.
Yeah, don't get me started on the "they" problem. I've made another Executive Decision like the one about never saying "gay" for homosexual and the other new language atrocities like everyone getting their own pronouns ----- I'm not playing. I'm calling them he or she and that's them apples.
I myself often use s/he on this forum and elsewhere, but saying "he or she" is not a big deal: just take the time.
I am not sure this is what is meant by the structure of the language changing the nature of the speaker's thought -------- but it may well be. Maybe you just have more up-to-date examples than I do, of a wildly changing English. I was thinking of German, which uses reflexives for all emotions: they say (in German) "I anger myself." ("Ich argere mich.") Which has some really neat philosophical considerations, I think.
You said, "
He basically means "this person," just as the related word
here means "this place."
Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, he and here are not related at all. "He" does not mean "this person," it means "this MALEMALEMALESUPERIORONLYIMPORTANTONE person." We women don't like that. This is an excellent example of language structure dominating thought and you should stop that at once. As you see, we aren't letting you get away with it anymore. Brava!!
If you think saying "he" and pretending to mean everyone fools anyone anymore, here is
my favorite feminist story:
In Oedipus' old age, he wandered lame and blind and one day he smelled a very familiar, worrying smell. "Sphinx!" he said. "Is that you? What do you want with me?"
"You didn't answer my riddle correctly," purred the sphinx.
"I answered your riddle!!!" he said. "You asked what goes on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening, and I said, Man, who crawls as a baby, walks in his prime, and moves around with a cane in old age!"
"You forgot women," said the sphinx.
"No, I didn't," cried Oedipus. "The masculine INCLUDES the feminine!"
"That's what you think," said the sphinx, and pounced.
