I am looking at thinkers and scientists from my lineage and there are a good few. Known , studied and published about.

And they were all capable of using advanced classical arabic to form their works.

Here I am.

I studied Arabic formally for more than 9 years. I had better sources than any of them.

Though I scored the best nationally at the age of 15, I don't remember even 80% of what I used to know regarding the language and the related linguistics.

I feel like my mind has deteriorated with the excessive use of latin languages. I really do. Especially when I compare myself to my ancestors.

They were all high achievers. Either warriors or revolutionaries or scientists and scholars.

To the extent that even racist Arabs where I live attempt to appease me once they know about my family name and tribes.

I feel too weak, too stupid and too tired.

Did I make groundbreaking contributions? Maybe but not as much as those who proceeded me.

I have to try harder.

But I am also so very tired.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

ThirstenHowl · M

why are you encountering this now, incidentally, are you starting to try to read up on some more advanced monographs in more academic than casual Arabic for some purpose?

of your more notable ancestors, how many of them and their achievements predate French colonization?

as far as I understand it, any language learning enhances cognitive abilities / skills, rather than eroding them ... and my god, you're a true polyglot, not merely bilingual, you have no idea how much I envy that

particularly since French still seems the primary language among healthcare professionals, if not with patients, in any given day what percentage of your communication would you say is actually in Arabic?

I think langs are just one of those use-it-or-lose-it-things, and if you don't regularly have reason to use the more obscure aspects of the language, I think it's natural you may forget some of it, it doesn't say anything about the health of your mind and cognitive abilities, please don't read too much into this if you normally speak more of other langs than Arabic in regular daily communication

you're still as brilliant as ever, and I'm not just blowing sunshine, you really are superlative and in another league, so please don't be so hard on yourself, I think your exhaustion is falsely coloring your thoughts of yourself at the moment, you aren't even remotely stupid, and you know this!!!!!

🤗🤗🤗🤗