A new take on the language-thought debate

It's been debated for quite some time whether and how the language(s) we speak influence our thoughts and actions. Now, thanks to the miracle of open publishing, M. Kieth Chen of Yale University argues that languages affect our ability to save money, quit smoking, and even lose weight. From Big Think, Chen's "analysis suggests that if your language's syntax blurs the difference between today and tomorrow (as do, say, Chinese and German) then you are more likely to save money, quit smoking, exercise and otherwise prepare for times to come. On the other hand, if you have three dollars in your IRA and a big credit-card balance, it's a safer bet you speak English or Hausa or Greek or some other language that forces speakers to distinguish present from future."