Indefinitely

Well...there's the idea that language itself is an infection. We think in language, and it's fundamentally structurally flawed in regards to it's efficacy in accurately communicating an experience to someone else (Semiotics explores this extensively)....it would be much easier if I could somehow telepathically beam an experience I had into someone else's head instead of trying to find the right words to describe it (and maybe we can do that, but just don't know how)

It limits us in our ability to connect universally (because what if two people don't speak the same language?) It effects how we perceive things...there have been studies done that find the linguistic tradition someone comes from actually changes how they see the world...there are cultures that have words for concepts other cultures have no concept of. I believe there was a study that found some African tribes literally couldn't distinguish between different shades of blue because they didn't have a linguist concept for them outside of the shades being 'blue'.

We think language allows us to communicate and thus get shit done, but it does have a lot of fundamental problems...consider someone who isn't as linguistically inclined struggling to put their feelings/emotions into words, and thus being unable to pinpoint or make sense of their own feelings. If we all exist in a speaking world and relate to one another through speaking, someone who isn't as proficient at using language (and all our brains process/work differently) is at a distinct disadvantage in navigating life....even at a basic level of understanding themselves.

Perhaps we don't ever seriously consider these limitations because we don't think there's any other options available as far as ways to interact/communicate with one another. There's ample evidence that telepathy is possible. We could theoretically be communicating exclusively in images and symbols...after all, that's all language really is with the added step of a 'sign' (word) that's representative of a symbol. But the meaning of the symbols associated with words isn't universal (if I say 'cat' we all know what a cat is but that word also recalls the mental image a different specific cat for all of us based on our life experiences with cats). If we could somehow communicate in symbols that had universally agreed upon meanings/associations, maybe that would be better.

The power of language isn't debatable. Air that comes from my lungs vibrating in a certain way has the power to make someone feel like shit or make their heart soar. The more interesting idea is that 'what are our thoughts, and where do they come from?'. Can we be sure all of our thoughts originate 'from us'? If those thoughts are in words, maybe that could hide where they're actually coming from, if not from us.