Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes Summary

"Don’t sleep, there are snakes." This seemingly simple phrase reveals an entirely different way of looking at life—through the eyes of the Pirahã people, whose unique language and worldview challenge what we think we know about human perception and communication.

1. The Pirahã approach the world differently through their language.

Language is not just a tool for communication, but a lens through which we see the world. For the Amazonian Pirahã, this lens is shaped by their unique language, which influences how they categorize, or sometimes decline to categorize, their surroundings. Unlike languages familiar to many of us, the Pirahã language lacks terms for numbers beyond "few" and "many."

Their worldview seems heavily rooted in direct experience. Rather than abstract concepts or distant histories, the Pirahã focus on the here and now. For example, they don’t have a word for “worry” because the concept doesn’t play a role in their culture. Instead, their language reflects their pragmatic and present-oriented way of life. The idea of “good night” in their language is expressed as “don’t sleep, there are snakes,” which is a practical reminder, not an abstract wish.

This focus on immediate experience is echoed in their conversational habits. They value discussing things they've seen or experienced directly, rather than hypothetical or distant matters. This pragmatic and present-centered nature makes their culture one of the happiest that researchers like Daniel Everett have encountered.

Examples

• Lack of words for numbers; instead, relative terms like "bigger" or "smaller" are used.
• No concept of "worry"—an attitude reflected in their joyous approach to life.
• Their "good night" phrase serves as practical advice for survival rather than polite nicety.

2. The Pirahã don’t use numbers, shaping a unique way of understanding quantity.

In Pirahã culture, there’s no need for numbers because their way of life doesn’t rely on counting. Instead, they use terms of comparison like "more" or "less." This may seem utterly foreign, as numeracy plays such a large role in most parts of the world, but it reflects the Pirahã’s priority in addressing immediate and practical needs.

Everett tried teaching the Pirahã basic arithmetic to help them in trading situations, suspecting that they simply hadn’t been exposed to numbers. However, even after months of lessons, no one could grasp even basic addition, like 1 + 1. It wasn't a matter of intelligence but rather how the concept of numbers is fundamentally absent from their worldview.

Furthermore, the Pirahã don’t use physical representations of numbers, such as holding up two fingers to denote “two.” For Everett, this realization helped him understand that their thinking is shaped by comparison and practicality, not necessarily abstract categorical systems like numbers.

Examples

• Everett's failed attempt to teach arithmetic.
• Their use of "bigger" or "smaller" rather than "two" or "ten."
• Comparative terms guiding practical activities, like determining trade value.

3. The Pirahã have unique suffixes to indicate evidence.

Unlike many other languages, the Pirahã use special suffixes that signal the source of their statements. These evidentials categorize what they say by type of knowledge—whether it’s based on hearsay, observation, or deduction.

For instance, to say “Your boat has a hole,” a Pirahã speaker would attach different suffixes to show the evidence. They might say it was observed directly (seeing fish swim in the hole), indirectly (seeing the boat sink), or reported by someone else. This prioritization of evidence in communication illuminates their focus on factual, firsthand experiences.

Phatic communication, like small talk, doesn’t exist in their language. Social niceties or expressions like “thank you” are replaced by practical acts of reciprocation. Their directness avoids ambiguity, making language honest and straightforward.

Examples

• Suffixes for “I saw it” versus “I heard it.”
• Observation of evidence being central to expressing facts.
• Exclusion of phrases for politeness—gratitude is shown through action.

4. The Pirahã don’t use small talk or "politeness expressions."

For the Pirahã, the utilitarian function of language outweighs relational or social embellishments. In most cultures, language is filled with phrases that build relationships, like “hello” or “thank you.” The Pirahã, however, skip these and instead use their actions to maintain harmony and show appreciation.

If they receive help, instead of saying, “Thanks,” they reciprocate later, perhaps by sharing food or helping with a task. Direct questions and declarations dominate their conversations. Pragmatism lies at the heart of their interactions, anchoring their communicative style in purpose rather than ornamentation.

This pragmatic approach extends to how they give orders or ask questions. Conversations are not filled with pleasantries but focus strictly on needs, directives, and direct answers.

Examples

• No expression of "thank you"; gratitude is indicated later through actions.
• Questions like “Where is the firewood?” receive direct answers like, “By the river.”
• Avoidance of conversational “niceties,” focusing on clarity and purpose.

5. They don’t categorize colors, reshaping visual experiences.

The Pirahã don’t use specific names for shades and colors, like "blue" or "green." Instead, they refer to colors based on their resemblance to other objects or their relative lightness or darkness. For instance, they might describe the color red as “like blood.”

This absence of specific color labels doesn’t mean they lack the ability to see or distinguish colors. Rather, color as a classification doesn’t play a central role in their culture. It serves to highlight how even something as universal as vision can be shaped differently by language and culture.

Everett observed this in practice when trying to describe objects to Pirahã individuals. Their descriptions avoided direct color references and instead used practical visual analogies.

Examples

• Referring to red as "like blood."
• Using dark and light to describe differences rather than hues.
• Everett’s challenges in communicating color differences with them.

6. Encounters with new things reveal perceptual limitations.

Both Everett and the Pirahã struggled with experiences unfamiliar to their respective environments. When the Pirahã saw two-dimensional photographs, they initially couldn’t interpret the flat images of three-dimensional objects. Meanwhile, while Everett could foresee dangers like floating logs in the river, he only later realized the risk of those logs being large anacondas.

These examples illustrate how environmental familiarity affects perception. The Pirahã are highly attuned to the jungle’s specifics, spotting dangers like caimans in the dark, yet they struggle with symbols or representations alien to their experience. Likewise, Everett’s inability to spot dangers in the jungle reflects his limited adaptation to their environment.

Examples

• Pirahã’s difficulty recognizing degraded photographs.
• Everett not spotting an anaconda mistaking it for a harmless log.
• Pirahã struggling to estimate vehicle speed when crossing busy roads.

7. The Pirahã treat children as equals in communication.

Unlike cultures where children are "spoken down to" in baby talk, the Pirahã engage with their children as they would adults. This extends their egalitarian approach to life, seeing even the youngest members as equal participants in their society.

By forgoing linguistic simplicity, the Pirahã prepare their children for life in the jungle from a young age. Children learn to absorb the culture's direct, practical communication style early on. Through observation and interaction, children grow into contributing community members.

This practice not only reflects but reinforces their self-sufficient and egalitarian society.

Examples

• Direct communication with children without linguistic simplification.
• Children learning by doing and observing adult conversations.
• No distinction in tone or content when addressing young ones.

8. Language reflects culture and attunes us to our surroundings.

The connection between the Pirahã language and their environment is inseparable. Living in the Amazon, they don’t theorize or use hypothetical expressions; they focus on survival and immediate needs. Their language mirrors their close connection with and adaptation to the jungle.

By observing the Amazon’s dangers and resources, the Pirahã developed a cultural language that’s deeply practical and rooted in firsthand experience. This reflects the role of language as not just communication but as a cultural expression of lived experience.

Comparatively, Everett’s struggles surviving without their guidance underline the invaluable knowledge encoded in the Pirahã language.

Examples

• Jungle survival shapes their practical speech like “don’t sleep, there are snakes.”
• Everett relying on their ability to detect dangers, like caimans.
• Their language lacking hypothetical expressions for distant or non-immediate events.

9. Preserving endangered languages preserves valuable knowledge.

With only about 400 Pirahã speakers left, their language—and the knowledge it represents—is under threat. Many of the world’s languages are disappearing due to globalization or assimilating influences. Each lost language takes with it unique ways of seeing and describing the world.

For the Pirahã, their language encodes their history, survival strategies, and relationships to the natural world. Protecting their language isn’t just about aesthetics, but safeguarding human diversity and knowledge.

This urgency is a call to action for linguistic preservationists and policymakers globally.

Examples

• Many of the world’s 6,500 languages may disappear by century’s end.
• The cultural and knowledge loss that accompanies language extinction.
• Market pressures incentivizing the shift to more dominant languages.

Takeaways

1. Learn about and support global efforts to preserve endangered languages, as these protect unique cultural perspectives.
2. Reflect on how language shapes the way we think and perceive the world—examine what linguistic patterns influence your daily outlook.
3. Respect and engage with local cultures, recognizing the unique knowledge and history encoded in their languages.