How To Avoid Psychological Traps
3 powerful metaphors to help you see more clearly
“Unless you are educated in metaphor, you are not safe to be let loose in the world.” — Robert Frost
In John F. Kennedy’s speech about the Space Race, he announced that “America has tossed its cap over the wall of space.”
JFK used this metaphor as a declaration for taking charge of the race. It’s a beautiful turn of phrase that epitomizes the power of metaphors, but metaphors can have many purposes.
They can be used to enhance writing, make persuasive arguments, motivate people, serve as symbols, memorize information, or explain abstract concepts such as love, life, and success.
Examples of such metaphors include:
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” — Pablo Picasso
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” — William Shakespeare
“Predicting rain doesn’t count. Building arks does.” — Warren Buffett
At its core, a metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to make a comparison between two unrelated things. As such, they are particularly useful for explaining abstract psychological concepts such as anxiety, resistance, and suffering.
