How words create our worlds

What role does language play in our ability to make sense of and act in the world?
One of our favourite researchers on this topic is Susanne Cook-Greuter. In this video, she describes how as the ego evolves and becomes more complex — so does our ability to use more complex language. In turn, our language shapes and transforms the worlds we create.
Why the words we use matter
“Language exerts hidden power, like the moon on the tides.” — Rita Mae Brown
When we use language to share our experiences — we transmit meaning to others. This includes our basic beliefs and assumptions about the nature of reality. Our values and intentions. The words we use to describe what we see and we don’t see. What we believe to be true and what we are unaware of.
Transmitting meaning in this way shapes other people’s experiences — while also shaping the cultural norms and paradigms we belong to. Over time this form’s a dominant paradigm of seeing and acting in the world.
Therefore, the language we use shapes the worlds we create. It shapes the lives we lead and the actions we take. It shapes the institutions we start and the roles we play in them. It shapes the way we organise ourselves against the challenges we face.
Transforming language transforms culture
“Language creates our world. So, to transform our world, we must start with transforming our language.” — Education Reimagined
If we want to transform the cultural paradigms we belong to, we must also transform the language we use. Systems change requires a partnership of change — both words and worlds.
An example of transformation in practice is this ‘Matrix of Education Evolution’ from Otto Scharmer and the uLab team. The matrix highlights how as our language evolves, so does the education paradigm.

It can be suggested that the dominant education system in the world today uses language consistent with the 2.0 paradigm. This is where the teacher describes themselves as experts and the learners see their role as memorising what they are taught.
However, around the world we are seeing a number of school’s shift paradigms by transforming the language they use. In the emerging 3.0 paradigm, the learner sees themselves at the centre and the teacher plays the role of a learning facilitator. Examples of this include the work of Education Reimagined, and The Finnish school system. The uLab team suggest some schools are going further, transforming into a 4.0 paradigm as highlighted in the matrix.
Making the invisible visible
“Your paradigm is so intrinsic to your mental process that you are hardly aware of its existence, until you try to communicate with someone with a different paradigm.” — Donella Meadows
The great challenge with transformation is that we typically struggle to see emerging paradigms coming. That’s because the words we use entrain us to believe they aren't relevant. New paradigms are typically lost in translation and are over our heads, until we become mindfully aware of their existence. When enough people become aware, the emerging paradigm with its new, more complex language begins to replace the dominant system.
Therefore, language is a powerful tool that can either imprison us — or transform us. If we are in the business of transforming systems — we best become aware of how our language must also change. As suggested by the uLab team, the future is already here, so one of the best things we can do is to listen for the subtle yet profound shifts in language that support system transformation.
If you have any reflections you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

