Other Metaphors and Analogies.

Metaphors and other literary devices (I’ll lazily call them all metaphors from now on) are just tools of the mind. Like any tool they need to be used with care at the appropriate time and place. Some are specific and others more general. The more general examples allude to principles and concepts of nature and can be useful in many circumstances. The best seem to be more than just tools but almost statements of fact and have of course been believed to be so. I have found the metaphors from the East very useful in many situations. They are quite useful as guides to how to think and approach problems but also how to live ones life. They tend to work together in combination where they describe the world from different perspectives but describe the same world. The Dao De Jing states that the Dao (way or universe perhaps) is un-knowable pointing out the limitations of Humans and their brain power and words. The power of metaphor is the ability to paint mental pictures which speak a thousand words! Many sayings and axioms give similar bang for the buck. I like the simplicity and yet depth of possibilities that sometimes grow. The Buddhist Koans are an example of short sayings or sentences that are stated and then come with the instruction now think about that for the rest of your life(s)!

A classic example particularly from Daoism (Taoism) is the water analogy. It takes the properties of water on earth, a daily experience for people and suggests ideas for understanding and action. It links to the natural way of nature (Dao) and how it works and how to work with it (Wu Wei). Of course you can go against nature and fight it, but victory can only be temporary. Like the idea of entropy from science where everything breaks down towards disorder. Before science started with thermodynamics. The unstoppable effects of water dominated life. It can be stopped for instance by a dam but you have to maintain the dam or the water will break it and one day you will stop maintaining enough and it will collapse! Temporary may be much longer than a human life but not much in the universal time. The practical advice from Daoism is to work with nature not resisting it’s forces. So perhaps if it is hard work it’s because you are going against nature and doing the wrong thing! Any achievement is still temporary (not necessarily wrong though).

It also suggests that to keep things a certain way, work will need to be done and the more complicated the more work to achieve and maintain. Perhaps the best ideas will be easier to achieve and maintain more in line with nature. Yin/Yang concepts are another staple of oriental thought and perspective that penetrate (just like water) everywhere, into every aspect of thought and action. Simple ideas of light and dark (it’s origin) help see that there is always both with shade in the day and moon shine and stars in the night. They are parts of a whole that cycles. This idea of changing balances aspects of the whole, rather than one thing and not another, but both that constantly changing. So Yin/Yang not Yin and/or Yang. So for thinking looking for the best balancing of aspects rather than extremes keeps closer to nature and easier to maintain as well as more effective. Avoiding the extra work to get diminishing returns.

Sometimes a balancing aspect or force is needed. We often keep doing one aspect as we are biased towards it getting caught in the trap of more is better. But the examples of combining Yin and Yang help with examples to actually get better results. The best swords have hard and soft elements to prevent stiff brittle steel or floppy soft iron. It’s the right amount not too much or too little that we look for. Sometimes we can alter what we do and sometimes we need others to balance us. I have used the example of a wall where Bricks (say yang) need Mortar (say yin) to come together to be most effective. Using these examples to look for other balancing aspects in all things becomes an aid to thinking and acting. Some people see a garden as the plants they plant and encourage to grow, but miss the taking away of plants they do not want to grow. Some people take away the unwanted the best and others add the best. The combination of both is greater than one on its own and has higher potential than one person who has balance themselves. These ideas can grow in complexity but the balance of aspects is always taken into account and gradually improved (Kaizan). Perfection is never attained but constant care and attention is needed to improve and maintain in the light of entropy.

These ideas of balance of opposites and going with nature added to the ideas of constant change and differing perspectives open up infinite possibilities of thought and action. They are not completely different to other ideas from the rest of the world. Similar ideas are found in historic ideas and the civilisations of other areas. The Greeks wrote down a lot giving later generations access to ideas that can be investigated and extended. Others have left other marks in oral traditions or culture. Of course it only natural that humans have investigated, thought and worked with the same world and universe so have found similar ideas and methods. They will be natural, balanced, changing and varied.

Like any tool you have to know how to use it. Finding the right time and place. Not using one tool all the time. These mind tools can be more powerful than a physical tool but thinking and practicing their usage leads to higher performance. When using metaphors with others it is important to develop the natural methods to usage of these tools and remember the communication needs of both giving and receiving timing the right message to the right person in the right way, not blindly blaming the receiver when disaster occurs after incorrect action.

Care needs to be taken when using metaphor as some people will later misunderstand it is a metaphor but you can paint a picture that can be understood and compared to another situation. You can take the known as a guide to the unknown and you can set up long term investigation. They can help with ideas too large or complex for words. The recipient has to be able to use them so simpler metaphors for some people and also ideas, allowing sometimes the freedom to expand to more detail and interpretations.