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Wednesday, September 30. 2009

Thinking in metaphors

There is no doubt that humans tend to, or prefer to, think in metaphors. Much of it is laziness, I think, and some of it is how our brains try to work efficiently. We have posted on this subject in the past.


We use metaphors to make the unseen and unseeable feel real, so we can handle it and talk about it. However, metaphors can just as easily be deceptive and misleading as they can be illuminating: it depends on the integrity and intent of the creator of the metaphor.


Psychologists try to take on metaphor - with, of course, the tools of their own metaphors. You end up with towers constructed of layers of metaphors. These are often termed "theories."


 

Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss in Psychology, and Dr. Bliss at 09:45 | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0)

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Words were metaphors before they were words. Language operates through the associations of metaphor, not through the linear process of naming. It takes no genius to understand that.

As for laziness, I doubt it. The mind associates, uses comparison and analogy to think, to learn. The higher functioning mind, the more metaphoric thinking; the dullards, the literal interpreters.

If metaphor and analogy were not the foundation of learning, thus, intelligence, why do SAT preparatory classes have one class set aside just for analogies? Metaphor is probably the most powerful learning tool we have.

The article was as you said. A team of biologists traveled that path long ago without all the froo-froo postulations.

My 'froo-froo' metaphor makes my point.
`
#1 Meta on 2009-09-30 13:25 (Reply)

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