Mapping Meaning: 1 Two Orientations of the Mind: Cognition and Desire in SFL

Every act of meaning begins with a stance: a perspective toward the world, the self, and the potential that lies between them. In systemic functional linguistics (SFL), one of the most fundamental distinctions in this stance is between cognitive and desiderative mental processes. Though simple in definition, this split reveals the architecture of how meaning is projected, negotiated, and actualised.

Cognition: Orienting Toward What Is or Could Be

Cognitive mental processes are those by which we think, perceive, and know. They project meanings that construe the world as it might be, or might have been. In SFL terms, these processes allow speakers to project propositions — statements or questions that construe possible realities.

• Examples of cognitive processes: knowing, perceiving, thinking, remembering

• Function in meaning-making: offer construals of reality, open possibilities for agreement, contradiction, or inquiry

• Orientation: epistemic — toward truth, probability, or usuality

A simple illustration:

“I think the storm will arrive tonight.”

Here, cognition is active: the speaker presents a construal of reality that can be evaluated, tested, or questioned. The focus is on what is possible or likely, not on what should or must happen.

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Desire: Orienting Toward What Should or Could Be Done

Desiderative mental processes, by contrast, are those by which we want, fear, hope, or wish. They project meanings that construe potential actions or states as desirable, obligatory, or threatening. In SFL, these processes allow speakers to project proposals — offers, commands, invitations, or warnings.

• Examples of desiderative processes: wanting, wishing, fearing, hoping

• Function in meaning-making: negotiate potential courses of action, express inclination or obligation, make futures thinkable

• Orientation: practical — toward action, commitment, or readiness

A simple illustration:

“I hope you can finish the project by Friday.”

Here, desire is active: the speaker is orienting toward a potential course of action, not simply evaluating what is. The focus is on what might, should, or must be done, shaped by stakes, value, and readiness.

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Projection: How Minds Extend Meaning

The cognitive/desiderative distinction is more than a grammatical curiosity. It shows how meaning-making projects possibilities into the semiotic field:

• Cognitive processes → propositions
  Construe the world, invite epistemic evaluation, orient thought toward reality

• Desiderative processes → proposals
  Construe actions, invite practical negotiation, orient thought toward futures

This dual orientation underscores a core principle: meaning is never neutral. Every mental process positions us toward a particular type of potential, whether that potential is a reality to be understood or a course of action to be realised.

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Why It Matters

Recognising these two orientations helps us see language as a dynamic landscape of possibilities rather than static labels. It clarifies:

• Why some statements invite belief or disbelief, while others invite action or commitment

• How thought and desire shape the kinds of futures we make thinkable

• How meaning-making mediates between internal impulses and external constraints

In the next post, we will explore how these orientations map onto propositions and proposals, and what this reveals about the way language negotiates reality and action simultaneously.