Metaphors

Metaphors are all over everybody's language. It is an illusion to think that they are mainly a poet's domain. A poet uses them lucidly, that's all; but in everyday language they are so common that nobody views them as an artifice anymore :

a broken heart
a hot issue
deep thought
a superego
a stirring speech
an offhand remark
truth comes to light
things go to hell

................................................................................................

You can't talk about music, politics, psychology, religion, music, philosophy or any other word-based disciplines without relying on metaphors.

the "barriers" between "classes"
the "field" of sociology
the government "watchdog"
a "foolproof" system
a "gesture" in politics
a "tool" for the mind
a "key" to understanding
the "source" of many problems...

As soon as you talk about something non-physical, non-material, you have to look for metaphor. That is the reason why it is so difficult to talk about a melody or a painting without simply saying WOW or LOL.

And especially in words of Latin descent you can often still see their metaphoric or figurative origin:

Con-dition = given at the same time
trans-fer = carried over
access = come near

................................................................................................

Even children discover rather early that words can be manipulated, secretly or openly, for fun or for war.

They name the teacher Spinach and their slowest classmate Blitz.

................................................................................................

The idea is to turn a common word into a new sock puppet, a new character in the game. --

However, sometimes a metaphor goes on and on for a paragraph or an entire book, and some are famous the world over: Moby Dick, Cervantes' Quixote, Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, Steinebeck's The Pearl.

Plato's cave is long and clumsy, but Heracles' river and Kant's dove are each just a line or two.

Kafka's 'Message from the Emperor' is less than a page.

And every day metaphors come as cartoons:

E.g. The Kite by Chris Madden

................................................................................................

"You cannot step twice into the same stream" ;meaning that all things keep changing and flow by like water in a river.

"The light dove, cleaving the air in her free flight and feeling its resistance, might imagine that its flight would be still easier in empty space"; meaning that metaphysical and religious thinking tends to be delusional because its conclusions lack proof.

-m.

Originally posted by mikelom
Metaphors are all over everybody's language.

I am trying to learn Chinese, and they seem to use idioms much more that English speakers generally do. Also a most English idioms can be understood after a little thought, but many Chinese idioms cannot be understood without already knowing the meaning. They are usually 4 characters and are often a reference to a famous story from an ancient book or poem - so without knowing the origin, you may not understand the point.
It is interesting thought that we do have a lot of idioms in common.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I am trying to learn Chinese, and they seem to use idioms much more that English speakers generally do. Also a most English idioms can be understood after a little thought, but many Chinese idioms cannot be understood without already knowing the meaning. They are usually 4 characters and are often a reference to a famous story from an ancient book or poem ...[text shortened]... not understand the point.
It is interesting thought that we do have a lot of idioms in common.

As you may, or may not be aware, I lived and worked in China for 3 years. I understand the frustration of trying to hazard a guess at Chinese idiomatic speech which, as you say, mostly lends itself to historical stories.

I have a beautiful ancient reed carving, worth a small fortune 😉, which is about 3 men, and the whole story only uses 3 chinese words, albeit in rich usage of multiple-meaning.

Most idiomatic speech refers to experience and knowledge, as opposed to religious belief and lack of purported speech. 😉

-m.

Originally posted by mikelom
Most idiomatic speech refers to experience and knowledge, as opposed to religious belief and lack of purported speech.

I've always had difficulty getting my head round the actual meaning (once the off-the-bat plausibility has worn off) of I felt like a spare prick at a wedding.

Originally posted by FMF
I've always had difficulty getting my head round the actual meaning (once the off-the-bat plausibility has worn off) of I felt like a spare prick at a wedding.

😀

Don't kick the bucket, before you go with a wife! 😀😀

Originally posted by mikelom
Metaphors are all over everybody's language. It is an illusion to think that they are mainly a poet's domain. A poet uses them lucidly, that's all; but in everyday language they are so common that nobody views them as an artifice anymore :

a broken heart
a hot issue
deep thought
a superego
a stirring speech
an offhand remark
truth comes to light
th ...[text shortened]... s to be delusional because its conclusions lack proof.

-m.

The genuine initiate practising the authorized process, experiences true spiritual enlightment which is subjective only to him....and persons who are envious of others enlightment will always discredit truth.

They are so mischievous that they will fabricate falsity to no end.

Originally posted by mikelom
Metaphors are all over everybody's language. It is an illusion to think that they are mainly a poet's domain. A poet uses them lucidly, that's all; but in everyday language they are so common that nobody views them as an artifice anymore :

a broken heart
a hot issue
deep thought
a superego
a stirring speech
an offhand remark
truth comes to light
th ...[text shortened]... s to be delusional because its conclusions lack proof.

-m.

Without metaphors we would not be able to access certain parts of the brain.
They also keep our imaginations alive.
Indeed the only link many have with the Divine is a memory of a mataphor.
Still it is better than nothing.
Proof is needed only up to a point with most spiritualists that I've met. The fact that we are there together and are calm and can exchange eachothers energies/read eachothers body language, and also engage in some other verbal language to confirm what is being resonated, is enough to gain the confidence in each others trust.
This sort of meeting is not common, but its happeneed to me at least with 35-40 different people.
There are always certain signs to look for, which invariably present themselves everytime (thats signs with "Good" and "bad" people).
With these people I always talk mainly in metaphors. Our analogoy's are taken on good faith, and small errors are tolerated, as it is understood iherintly by both/all parties, that we are on a path, we are in a process, we are not perfect, and that we can still trust eachother despite not being perfect. To open yourself to anothers energy on any level brings both of you closer to the Divine (on some level anyway)