Comparisons Create Perspective
Herein lies the trail of many a non-literal comparison . . . advance at your own risk.
How Does a Metaphor Work?
Metaphors are delightful, but how does one work?
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A basic metaphor is made up of two parts; part one is the person, place, process, idea, or item you want to describe; part two is the metaphoric means of creating description, perspective, insight, or awareness, and, importantly, part two cannot be in the same category as part one if the metaphor is to do its proper work.
Example Metaphor:
“Pat is a parachute.”
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Part one: Pat
Part two: a parachute
When we first encounter someone speaking or writing this metaphor we notice that although it’s an untrue proposition (i.e., Pat is in fact, NOT a parachute), our minds don’t treat it as untrue; instead our brain does the metaphor tango.
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The tango goes something like this: We have a “parachute” bin in our brain; this bin is filled with things we think we know about parachutes (e.g., parachutes are made of fabric, parachutes are round or rectangular, parachutes are safety devices, parachutes are used for jumping out of airplanes (when they’re high off the ground), parachutes save lives, etc.).
When we put part one of a metaphoric proposition with part two (we see or hear the metaphor), our brain first checks the “part two” bin, then, it compares what was found in the bin with what we know (or think we know) about part one (insert whatever you know about Pat here). Thereafter, our brains take the parts from the “part two” bin that make the most sense given the context and overlay or join those things (or that thing) with “part one.”
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Hence, when “part one” (Pat) is metaphorically joined with “part two” (a parachute) a probable meaning would be: “Pat is a lifesaver.”
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Note that most people’s minds wouldn’t bother to directly think about a non-good match or connection (e.g., few would think “Pat is a rectangular piece of fabric.”).
Check out how this process works the next time you encounter a wonderful or juicy metaphor.
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For more on how metaphors work see Chapter 4 in Metaphors and Beyond: The Guide.