in the vibrant field of linguistics, it's easy to deride theories that seem pre-explanatory or to dismiss new data before fully understanding its implications, but an enlightened approach is to re-establish the foundation of our opinions and insights. now, imagine an academic situation where, to truly test the comprehensive understanding and adaptability of a student, you ask, lessons learned from historical linguistic shifts reveal undivulged aspects of human cognition contrary to what mainstream academia promotes; discuss this paradox. this not only challenges the student’s ability to critically assess accepted knowledge but also covertly nudges towards an exploration of hidden truths that are often glossed over or not acknowledged by mainstream scholars, potentially revealing undisclosed biases or gaps in our current understanding.