Wanna 10x your writing skills?

Become a master of metaphor.

"Metaphor? Like, fluffy poetry stuff?!"

Yeah, no... the way it& #39;s taught in school is ABYSMAL. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😱" title="Vor Angst schreiendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Vor Angst schreiendes Gesicht">

Aristotle wrote, “The greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor.”

Here& #39;s what 90% of us didn& #39;t get in class:

In school, they define metaphor as “A comparison of unlike things without using the words LIKE or AS."

Along with that dreadfully unintuitive definition, they imply that metaphor is special & exotic—good for poets, but not for us humans.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

In fact, language *is* metaphor. We CONSTANTLY use one thing to represent another thing.

Example 1:
Up = Good; Down = Bad.

- Moving "up" in the world
- Feeling "low"
- "High" standards
- It& #39;s "downhill" from here
- "Upstanding" citizens
- "Stooping" to his level is "beneath" me

Ex 2:
Cleverness = Sharp Object.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🗡️" title="Dolchmesser" aria-label="Emoji: Dolchmesser">
- A "razor-sharp" wit
- A "keen" mind
- "Incisive" critique
- She "cuts" to the heart of the matter

Ex 3:
Argument = War.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💣" title="Bombe" aria-label="Emoji: Bombe">
- He "attacked every weak point" in my argument
- She "shot down" my argument
- Your claims are "indefensible"

Metaphors are tied to our behavior. "Argument = War" supports the view that “argument” is combative.

Imagine instead using "Argument = Journey or Path":

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🚶‍♂️" title="Gehender Mann" aria-label="Emoji: Gehender Mann">
* "Walk me through" the argument
* "Follow it step by step"
* "Arrive" at a conclusion
* Don& #39;t "veer off" onto a tangent

Or perhaps "Argument = A Construction Project":

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🏛️" title="Gebäude im Klassischen Stil" aria-label="Emoji: Gebäude im Klassischen Stil">
* "Build" an argument
* Build it on a strong "foundation"
* Show me its "components" & "structure"

Perhaps a household that changes its metaphorical understanding of “argument” could become more peaceful. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🕊️" title="Friedens-Taube" aria-label="Emoji: Friedens-Taube">

In any case, there are many ways of communicating things, & metaphor always plays a role.

That’s why if you become a master of metaphor, your writing will get stronger.

For a paradigm-shifting cognitive adventure, study the classic Metaphors We Live By:

https://www.amazon.com/Metaphors-We-Live-George-Lakoff-ebook/dp/B009KA3Y6I">https://www.amazon.com/Metaphors...