For various reasons it is easy to find oneself in a situation where people speak in a foreign language. Does this affect our way of thinking? If to save five people you had to push a person to certain death in front of a speeding train, would you do it? Studies show that if this question is asked in a language we studied the chances are that we will reply with Yes, and if asked in our mother tongue the reply will be No. In the former case we find it less hard to violate a taboo (killing someone). Communicating in a foreign tongue reduces the emotional component, but does it increase the rational component? Since it requires more concentration the replies are more ‘thought out’, but this would be due to reduced emotional involvement rather than an actual increase in rational thinking. Even if saving five lives at the expense of one may seem the rational choice, it is actually the one with less emotional conditioning. We associate our mother tongue with home, family and friends and for this reason it is associated with emotions that condition our decisions. The implications of these studies are important. In what language should peace negotiations be conducted. Maybe in a third language that is not the mother tongue of either of the two parties. A physician speaking with patients might be conditioned one way or another depending on the language used to communicate. The same applies to the patients who might withhold info depending on the language they use. Maybe very emotional or anxious people might find relief if they are asked to speak in a language that is not their mother tongue.