the linguistic and cognitive sciences have underestimated the diversity of languages. this is partly because assumptions based on english and familiar languages have been projected onto other languages. this has led to distortions, especially in the study of semantics. the target paper argues that there is little evidence for the view that language variation is bounded by linguistic universals. instead, there is extensive variation across many dimensions, which can be understood in terms of cultural evolution. languages vary fundamentally on many dimensions, which is important for psychology because language is a "window on the mind" and semantic variation correlates with psychological variation. most of our ideas about human reasoning and natural categories are based on our own languages. english is an outlier in the design space of human languages. there is significant variation in spatial frames of reference across cultures, with some languages using allocentric coding. studies with hai || om hunter-gatherers show that they maintain dance moves in absolute coordinates under rotation, unlike a matched german sample. this challenges assumptions about the human mind. cross-linguistic investigation shows variation in how languages express spatial concepts. for example, korean speakers distinguish between tight-fitting and loose-fitting relations. this has impacted how we think about the infant mind. in vision science, the correspondence between visual algorithms and language has led to misjudgments about the language-perception interface. in color, languages divide the spectrum into discrete categories, and weepers of weird societies make finer divisions than most. however, there is evidence that weired societies may be surpassed in this domain. human performance diversity offers a rich resource for cognitive scientists. it allows us to triangulate on underlying properties of mind that would be invisible if we were all culturally identical. instead of lamenting the loss of the "psychic unity of mankind," we should embrace the study of cognitive diversity as a window on human cognitive potential. weired societies may be more compatible with human nature.the linguistic and cognitive sciences have underestimated the diversity of languages. this is partly because assumptions based on english and familiar languages have been projected onto other languages. this has led to distortions, especially in the study of semantics. the target paper argues that there is little evidence for the view that language variation is bounded by linguistic universals. instead, there is extensive variation across many dimensions, which can be understood in terms of cultural evolution. languages vary fundamentally on many dimensions, which is important for psychology because language is a "window on the mind" and semantic variation correlates with psychological variation. most of our ideas about human reasoning and natural categories are based on our own languages. english is an outlier in the design space of human languages. there is significant variation in spatial frames of reference across cultures, with some languages using allocentric coding. studies with hai || om hunter-gatherers show that they maintain dance moves in absolute coordinates under rotation, unlike a matched german sample. this challenges assumptions about the human mind. cross-linguistic investigation shows variation in how languages express spatial concepts. for example, korean speakers distinguish between tight-fitting and loose-fitting relations. this has impacted how we think about the infant mind. in vision science, the correspondence between visual algorithms and language has led to misjudgments about the language-perception interface. in color, languages divide the spectrum into discrete categories, and weepers of weird societies make finer divisions than most. however, there is evidence that weired societies may be surpassed in this domain. human performance diversity offers a rich resource for cognitive scientists. it allows us to triangulate on underlying properties of mind that would be invisible if we were all culturally identical. instead of lamenting the loss of the "psychic unity of mankind," we should embrace the study of cognitive diversity as a window on human cognitive potential. weired societies may be more compatible with human nature.