Describe a personal story of when you have used reason without using language.
Very early in life I came to a revelation about myself : Words create the essence of life that surrounds me. I have never been one to experience through image, or instinct. In whatever situation I may find myself, whether it be a completely new experience, or the dullness of the average day, my mind spins with the analysis that comes with forming vocabular description. Therefore, I found this particular assignment rather difficult because of my usual aversion to thoughts that lack language. I was prepped for quite a bit of memory-searching before realizing that such a situation occurred not too long ago. No, it isn’t a long-winded tale of personal achievement or horrifying failure, it is but a simple incident in which the very core of my being was jolted into immediate action by means of reasoning.
My youngest sister is at a very… exploratory stage (11 months), and although it is unspeakably adorable, such curiosity, and a means of putting it into physical reaction, naturally results in some dangerous situations. Electrical outlets, for instance. It is typical for my family to put outlet covers on while the outlets are not in use, but thanks to the incurable irresponsibility of a certain 9-year old who finds pride in being able to finally use the microwave by herself, one of these outlets was uncovered, and, to a curious little baby, all the more appealing. I was in a fit of being uncharacteristically responsible, and was therefore doing my homework assignment long before it was due, when I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. It just so happened to be my sweet baby sister crawling at full speed, with an eager little look, and a mischievous little smirk, on her face. That is a sight that I am quite used to seeing, so I thought nothing of it, and continued on with my work. It was only about 2.7 seconds later when I felt that something was not quite right, and I looked up to see her centimeters away from the electric outlet, her tiny finger outstretched in preparation to poke (which currently is her favorite means of communication, unfortunately, for it can be rather painful when she pokes you in the eye). I felt horror-stricken, as if my heart was plummeting to my feet, and it was during this moment that I was able to reason without using language, for there are no words to describe the longing that one feels to save a loved one when they face grave danger. I knew naturally that without my aid, my sister was in for a terrible situation, and I needed to act instantaneously in order to prevent that. Before I had even realized what happened, my little sister was in my arms (grumbling at me because I had prevented her from carrying out her task at hand), and I was breathing a sigh of relief. Sometimes even the most literary people toss away the words that they cling to when it comes to a critical occurrence.
