I have always
tended to think of metaphors as statements like “ran like the wind” or “raven
haired”; statements that are obvious comparisons. Geary points out that
metaphor goes far deeper in our language; stocks ‘climb’ despite not having
limbs, time races by or crawls, a person or situation can be a ticking time
bomb while having nothing to do with actual explosives. Metaphor is so
ingrained in humans that we aren’t even aware of it. Metaphors help explain the
world to us; new things are explained by comparing them to things we already
know. Metaphors are so deeply ingrained in our brains that we can easily be
manipulated by others using them; advertisers and politicians use them all the
time. The book is very interesting; the man knows what he’s talking about if
the gigantic bibliography tells us anything. Recommended if you are interested
in learning about how your brain works and perhaps making you aware of how
metaphors can ‘prime’ you to feel and act in certain ways.
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