A metaphor is simply describing one thing by likening it to another: She’s my buttercup. That dude’s a rock.
Basic as they are, metaphors can be extremely powerful thought and language tools. They can be playful, descriptive, and colorful. They are the enemy of dry, boring and dull.
Linguists and writers have long known that metaphors influence the way humans think, persuade, remember and organize ideas. When you take a closer look at good writing, you’ll find that metaphors are essential building blocks of our best stories. And stories, as we’ve discussed many times in this weekly note, are the secret to all great lasting human communications – business, politics, entertainment, relationships – everything.
Metaphors trigger our right brain to visualize and create scenes, situations, context, and vivid imagery. They are at the heart of persuasive communications, especially for sales and marketing. Author and TED speaker James Geary examines the art and science of metaphor in his video below.
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