--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We assume, to begin with, that the…" description: "\"We assume, to begin with, that the individual is at least as complex in his internal structure as the language is which he speaks - otherwise, how coul..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/kenneth-l-pike-69608_assume_we-assume-to-begin-with-that-the-individ_1116646.jpg" --- # We assume, to begin with, that the individual is at least… ![“We assume, to begin with, that the individual is at least as complex in his internal structure as the language is which he speaks - otherwise, how could he speak a language which is complex?” quote by Kenneth L. Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/kenneth-l-pike-69608_assume_we-assume-to-begin-with-that-the-individ_1116646.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/kenneth-l-pike-69608_assume_we-assume-to-begin-with-that-the-individ_1116646.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/kenneth-l-pike-69608_assume_we-assume-to-begin-with-that-the-individ_1116646.jpg) > “We assume, to begin with, that the individual is at least as complex in his internal structure as the language is which he speaks - otherwise, how could he speak a language which is complex?” [Kenneth L. Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-l-pike/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Complex internal structures mirror language complexity; without this, language use is inexplicable. **In simple terms:** Mind complexity reflects language complexity. Key Takeaway Explore inner complexity to understand communication. Themes language mind complexity communication Mood intellectual inquisitive Type academic philosophical When to use this quote - language learning - cross‑cultural communication - AI language modeling Key Concepts cognitive linguistics psychology of language structural analysis Questions to Reflect On - How does inner complexity affect expression? - Can language ever fully capture thought? A Different Perspective May overlook non‑linguistic cognition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume/) [Begin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begin/) [Complex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complex/) [Complex Internal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complex-internal-3001489/) [Could](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could/) [He](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he/) [His](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/his/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individual Complex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-complex-3001488/) [Internal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internal/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Language Complex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-complex-2823217/) [Language Speaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-speaks-741547/) [Otherwise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/otherwise/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Speaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speaks/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Structure Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure-language-2435689/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/) ## Related quotes > [If it is difficult to know yourself as an individual, it seems to be more complex as a couple. So if you say, "Oh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/if-it-is-difficult-to-know-yourself-as-an-individual-it-seems-to-be/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Revelation and the nature of truth must be viewed in reference to the structure of language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/revelation-and-the-nature-of-truth-must-be-viewed-in-reference-to-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The structure of language determines not only thought, but reality itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-structure-of-language-determines-not-only-thought-but-reality/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Every language having a structure, by the very nature of language, reflects in its own structure that of the world as assumed by those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-korzybski/every-language-having-a-structure-by-the-very-nature-of-language/) [Alfred Korzybski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-korzybski/) > [I know what the structure of the language is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-loder/i-know-what-the-structure-of-the-language-is/) [Kurt Loder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-loder/) > [Language is too complex for a computer to understand. It's not going to be able to make sense of what people are saying en…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/language-is-too-complex-for-a-computer-to-understand-it-s-not-going/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [The English language is more complex than calculus because numbers don't have nuances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/the-english-language-is-more-complex-than-calculus-because-numbers/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [“I'm amazed with language, it's so complex, yet so simple...everything can be influenced by it, and everything can influence it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-loskov/i-m-amazed-with-language-it-s-so-complex-yet-so-simple-everything-can/) [Kimberly Loskov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-loskov/) > [The best language is always found in books because it's considered. It's a high language. Sometimes, it is complex and difficult. It's empowering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/the-best-language-is-always-found-in-books-because-it-s-considered-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Language is complex, yet easy, and amazing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-loskov/language-is-complex-yet-easy-and-amazing/) [Kimberly Loskov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-loskov/) > [“Every woman has known the torment of getting up to speak. Her heart racing, at times entirely lost for words, ground and language slipping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-ne-cixous/every-woman-has-known-the-torment-of-getting-up-to-speak-her-heart/) [Hélène Cixous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-ne-cixous/) > [We all need to learn a new language for love - a language that speaks not in socks, pancakes, and paychecks, but in shared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-sher/we-all-need-to-learn-a-new-language-for-love-a-language-that-speaks/) [Barbara Sher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-sher/) > [“I told them this was their language, this English, this most marvellous and expressive cloak of meaning and imagination. This great, exclamatory, illuminating song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/i-told-them-this-was-their-language-this-english-this-most-marvellous/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) > [Love…the language that speaks from the heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/authurine-waugh/love-the-language-that-speaks-from-the-heart/) [Authurine Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/authurine-waugh/) > [“The fantastically wasteful prodigality of human tongues, the Babel enigman, points to a vital multiplication of mortal liberties. Each language speaks the world in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-fantastically-wasteful-prodigality-of-human-tongues-the-babel/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) ## More by Kenneth L. Pike > [This required the development of a view which allowed one to integrate research with belief, thing with person, fact with aesthetics, knowledge with application…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-l-pike/this-required-the-development-of-a-view-which-allowed-one-to/) [Kenneth L. Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-l-pike/) > [So I see that Christianity in believing in a Creator pulls together more facts, data, inner experience and ability than any mechanistic view could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-l-pike/so-i-see-that-christianity-in-believing-in-a-creator-pulls-together/) [Kenneth L. Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-l-pike/) > [That a society controls, to a greater or lesser extent, the behavior of its members is a universal; but the methods, the particulars of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-l-pike/that-a-society-controls-to-a-greater-or-lesser-extent-the-behavior-of/) [Kenneth L. Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-l-pike/) [Explore all 4 Kenneth L. Pike quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-l-pike/) ## More Assume quotes > [We only call at ducks when their rear ends are towards us. 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Why not have a separate holiday for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/let-s-assume-for-the-moment-that-the-logic-behind-presidents-day-is/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [We should not assume; however, that just because something is unexplainable by us, it is unexplainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/we-should-not-assume-however-that-just-because-something-is/) [Neal A. 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He may have more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-thomas/do-not-always-assume-the-other-fellow-has-intelligence-equal-to-yours/) [Terry-Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-thomas/) > [Americans assume all British people have at least one servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/americans-assume-all-british-people-have-at-least-one-servant/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [It is a mistake to assume that if everybody does his job, it will be all right. The whole system may be in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/it-is-a-mistake-to-assume-that-if-everybody-does-his-job-it-will-be/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [ If \[Barack\] Obama or the boss or the newspapers or anyone else tells you they're doing this, that, or the other thing, dismiss it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-barack-obama-or-the-boss-or-the-newspapers-or-anyone-else-tells/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Browse all 542 Assume quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We assume, to begin with, that the individual is at least as complex in his internal structure as the language is which he speaks - otherwise, how could he speak a language which is complex?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kenneth L. 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