Metaphors in Daily Life
In daily life there are things that are seen, and there are things that we as individuals do not see or realize. Metaphors are one of the unseen, and ususally one of the unrealized. Individuals use metaphors daily, in papers, in speeches, and in every day conversations. The dictionary refers to a metaphor as a figure of speech where a term is applied to something that it is not. The article "Concepts We Live By," by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson describe a metaphor as "a device of the poetic imagination and the rhetorical flourish" (314). This means that we take two items which might not be similar ata ll and relate them to each other. An example of this is the saying, "the assignment was a breeze." The assignment is not literally a breeze, the assignment was easier than most.
Metaphors can be taken a lot deeper than the example above. Lakoff and Johnson believe that metaphors are a concept we live by because we use them daily to get our point across to a wide range of individuals. In the metaphor “argument is war” (316), Lakoff and Johnson say that we can win or lose arguments. In this metaphor we attack the other person’s position, while defending our own. We disagree with the other person’s points, even if they make sense, and we try our hardest to prove that we have the only correct answer. Deborah Tannen, in her article "Agonism in the Academy: Surviving Higher Learning's Argument Culture," agrees with Lakoff and Johnson on this thought. Tannen believes individuals "refuse to concede a point raised by their opponents, even if they can see that it is valid, because such a concession would weaken their position" (17). Lakoff and Johnson agree with her by stating that, “we act according to the way we conceive things” (317). If we conceive something as bad we will act against it and even if the point is valid, we will try to prove it isn’t.
Metaphors sometimes lead us to not believe certain points and once we are set on our beliefs it’s hard to change them. If an individual believes that the color black is more formal than the color white, every time he goes to a formal event he will want to wear black. Even if he is told the color white is just as formal many times, it will be hard to change his opinion. Tannen also agrees with Lakoff and Johnson when she says that agonism “fosters in students a stance of arrogance and narrow-mindedness, qualities that do not serve the fundamental goals of education” (16). Tannen doesn’t like that the battle metaphor is taught in school and believes that it should be avoided. She believes that agonism, even through the use of metaphors, should be avoided during education.
When it comes to metaphors, Lakoff and Johnson found, “that metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought and action,” (315) and “the concepts that govern our thought are not just matters of the intellect. They also govern our everyday functioning, down to the most mundane details” (315). After reading Lakoff and Johnson’s article, I now agree with them. Metaphors are a concept we live by. Metaphors help us to understand points, we might not have before and they help to explain small details we might have missed without a metaphor. When metaphors are used correctly they can be great learning tools, but when used incorrectly, can create narrow-mindedness as we try to prove that only our view of something is correct. This is why it is so important to understand metaphors and why they are so critical in daily life.
Metaphors can be taken a lot deeper than the example above. Lakoff and Johnson believe that metaphors are a concept we live by because we use them daily to get our point across to a wide range of individuals. In the metaphor “argument is war” (316), Lakoff and Johnson say that we can win or lose arguments. In this metaphor we attack the other person’s position, while defending our own. We disagree with the other person’s points, even if they make sense, and we try our hardest to prove that we have the only correct answer. Deborah Tannen, in her article "Agonism in the Academy: Surviving Higher Learning's Argument Culture," agrees with Lakoff and Johnson on this thought. Tannen believes individuals "refuse to concede a point raised by their opponents, even if they can see that it is valid, because such a concession would weaken their position" (17). Lakoff and Johnson agree with her by stating that, “we act according to the way we conceive things” (317). If we conceive something as bad we will act against it and even if the point is valid, we will try to prove it isn’t.
Metaphors sometimes lead us to not believe certain points and once we are set on our beliefs it’s hard to change them. If an individual believes that the color black is more formal than the color white, every time he goes to a formal event he will want to wear black. Even if he is told the color white is just as formal many times, it will be hard to change his opinion. Tannen also agrees with Lakoff and Johnson when she says that agonism “fosters in students a stance of arrogance and narrow-mindedness, qualities that do not serve the fundamental goals of education” (16). Tannen doesn’t like that the battle metaphor is taught in school and believes that it should be avoided. She believes that agonism, even through the use of metaphors, should be avoided during education.
When it comes to metaphors, Lakoff and Johnson found, “that metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought and action,” (315) and “the concepts that govern our thought are not just matters of the intellect. They also govern our everyday functioning, down to the most mundane details” (315). After reading Lakoff and Johnson’s article, I now agree with them. Metaphors are a concept we live by. Metaphors help us to understand points, we might not have before and they help to explain small details we might have missed without a metaphor. When metaphors are used correctly they can be great learning tools, but when used incorrectly, can create narrow-mindedness as we try to prove that only our view of something is correct. This is why it is so important to understand metaphors and why they are so critical in daily life.