parallels and analogy.

[beelzebubble]

my gf just got promoted to the position of head teacher at her job and she was a little worried about how capable she would be of coping with the added pressure.

in an attempt to make her feel better i used an analogy to describe the process of gaining experience in a job and being able to deal with all the duties of your job.

i likened the process to walking towards a mountain, you start at a distance from which you can't make out the detail of the mountain but as you get closer the shape of it's base, the surrounding foothills, it's ridges, etc become clear.

anyway that got me thinking about analogies work.. i came up with three options and i'm interested in finding out which other ppl think, is the best explanation or if anyone knows of any studies done to prove that one is the true explanation.

1. the parallel between two things like those i described commonly occurs in nature making analogies common.

2. we subconsciously use analogies to help us understand the things we see around us and to process visual information.

3. the parallel only exists because i subconsciously choose aspects of the two things i am comparing that will make my argument seem true.



it's late and i've never been very good at expressing my ideas in the written word so sorry if it's hard to understand my point.

 

[Lastblade]

SAT used to have these things called Analogies. But now pussy teenagers don't have to deal with them.

 

[Gameoz]

my gf just got promoted to the position of head teacher at her job and she was a little worried about how capable she would be of coping with the added pressure.

I am sorry but that is the funniest thing I have read on the boards in a while.

 

[tsukaesugi]

3. the parallel only exists because i subconsciously choose aspects of the two things i am comparing that will make my argument seem true.

The way analogies work probably relies a bit of all three explanations, although if I had to choose one, I'd go with explanation number three.

After all, most analogies break down if you stretch them too far.

 

[Blue Steel]

You can make analogies using just about any topic. At least I can. It doesn't mean they're always clear and fully understood right away by the person/s you're telling, but trust me you can do it. So I guess it's all the stuff you listed and then some. I was gonna make another analogy for your gf and the job thing comparing the situation to taking a big shit, but I don't wanna gross everyone out.

 

[aria]

I am sorry but that is the funniest thing I have read on the boards in a while.

I admit, if it was the same way I read it, it was funny to me too.

Frankly, I pick #2. The human mind seems too like them. I mean, that would be like --just kidding.

But seriously, I think much of what we learn as humans, particularly in the early stages of life, is based on what we already know. So we understand new things by comparing them to old things in order to get our bearings. I've never sat down and really parsed it out, but I'm sure some philosophy/linguistics PhD has at some time or another.

Or should we just have fun and adapt a classic: Analogies are like assholes, everyone has one and they all stink.

 

[lithy]

I've never sat down and really parsed it out, but I'm sure some philosophy/linguistics PhD has at some time or another.

Don't worry, wizkid has.

 

[BIG]

I came in here thinking that this thread is about teh wza...

B-

 

[TheBigBB]

SAT used to have these things called Analogies. But now pussy teenagers don't have to deal with them.

Yes, those pissed me off big time. There cannot be a right or wrong answer to these questions. They are 100% subjective. "Pick the best answer" means pick the answer someone else wants you to. Any two things can be similar in some way and forcing people to think about the world and structure their thoughts in a single way is horrible for a higher eductaion standardized test.

 

[shweedie]

When you use an analogy you are trying to illusrtate a point/concept not fully understood by your audience. Therefore it is your knowledge of your audience that dictates the parallel you chose. You will chose the analogy you think your audience is most likely to understand. Put simply it is a tool of speech(written or verbalized) used to convey information.

It is useful, for as you say sometimes it is hard to put into words the feeling behind what you are saying. You chose an excellent analogy for your girlfriend. She is feeling nervous and you gave her a peaceful image of mountains, and a knowledge that when she begins her new job and time passes, it will become clear to her how to handle things.

I am not sure which of the three choices this explanation is the closest to, but this is what I always thought they were.