Patterns in the Mind, summative essay on Ray Jackendoff's book on language and human nature.

Patterns in the Mind "The argument for the construction of experience..." This is easier to explain if thought of as, "nothing comes from nowhere." I found this scribbled in my notes next to construction of experience. Being a child of ex-hippies, this is not a difficult concept for me to grasp. I have always participated in and heard discussions about everything happens for a reason, everything has a deeper meaning, what does this mean to …

…that without out the proper mental grammar a word is not a word but a sound wave. We must be equipped with the correct mental grammar to interpret the perceived language. We process the sound about the same for the same language (all English speakers). This is our Universal Grammar working. With mental and Universal Grammar working most people come up with a basic meaning. Then, with this information we construct meaning from our experiences.