The article discusses how assumptions based on English and familiar languages have led to an underestimation of linguistic diversity. It argues that the study of semantics has been distorted by this bias, and that the concept of linguistic universals is not as strong as previously thought. The authors suggest that languages vary significantly across many dimensions, and that this variation is largely predictable from cultural evolution. They argue that this variation has important implications for psychology, as language is a window on the mind and semantic variation seems to correlate with psychological variation. The article also highlights the importance of studying non-WEIRD languages, which may offer a more accurate picture of human cognition. The authors point out that English is an outlier in the design space of human languages, and that many features of English are quite unusual. They also discuss how spatial concepts vary across languages, and how this challenges assumptions about the human mind. The article also highlights the importance of studying non-WEIRD languages in the domain of vision, where the correspondence between the algorithms used by the visual system and language has led to misjudgments about the language-perception interface. The article concludes that human performance diversity offers a rich resource for cognitive scientists, and that studying cognitive diversity is essential for understanding human cognitive potential. The authors argue that WEIRD societies may be more compatible with human nature than previously thought.The article discusses how assumptions based on English and familiar languages have led to an underestimation of linguistic diversity. It argues that the study of semantics has been distorted by this bias, and that the concept of linguistic universals is not as strong as previously thought. The authors suggest that languages vary significantly across many dimensions, and that this variation is largely predictable from cultural evolution. They argue that this variation has important implications for psychology, as language is a window on the mind and semantic variation seems to correlate with psychological variation. The article also highlights the importance of studying non-WEIRD languages, which may offer a more accurate picture of human cognition. The authors point out that English is an outlier in the design space of human languages, and that many features of English are quite unusual. They also discuss how spatial concepts vary across languages, and how this challenges assumptions about the human mind. The article also highlights the importance of studying non-WEIRD languages in the domain of vision, where the correspondence between the algorithms used by the visual system and language has led to misjudgments about the language-perception interface. The article concludes that human performance diversity offers a rich resource for cognitive scientists, and that studying cognitive diversity is essential for understanding human cognitive potential. The authors argue that WEIRD societies may be more compatible with human nature than previously thought.