Metaphors are often instantaneous, subconscious thoughts that spark in our minds on point. In “Metaphors We Live By”, by Lakoff and Johnson, the authors shine a light on the concept of metaphors, and bring to mind many realities that are usually thoughtless in language. A metaphor, simply, is a figure of speech in which one word, not predominantly expressed in that fashion, is used in place of another to suggest a comparison between the two, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Common metaphors found in everyday life might be ‘it’s raining buckets’ or ‘you’re a late bloomer.’ However, metaphors are also entrenched in our culture. We use metaphors automatically to better understand structural concepts of life. Concepts such as arguing are metaphorically structured in our minds; we think of arguing in a very similar way we think of war, and therefore we arrive at the linguistic “Argument is War.” We even view time as a metaphor, Lankoff and Johnson prove, as we regard time in terms of giving, spending and saving. However, this system does not always run smoothly, as there are many occasions where comparing time to money, or argument to war, would not seem fit, the authors rightfully claim. Thus, metaphorical concepts are tricky, sometimes they fit like a master key, other times they can seem like someone brought a baseball to a hockey game.

Like other concepts, language to us in the industrialized Western world is viewed as one big metaphorical concept. I’ll try to get that point across another way. Language also has that subtle message attached, like it is the messenger. At least that is how it is viewed in our brains. Overall, I completely agree with the authors in their claim that metaphorical concepts can fit in the majority of our concepts that we hold, yet not in all instances, and I agree that some times we need alternative context to fully understand the message.

There has been an ongoing debate about whether language shapes our culture, and the way we think, or whether our culture shapes our language, and the way we speak.

I have learned previously that language actually shapes the culture, and the way we think, and there are many ways to prove it. For example, there is a culture that has no sense of time, no past, no present, and no future, in their language. This shapes the way they live in more than just their conversation. They are living for the moment, not worrying about the past or about the future.

Our language is filled with metaphors. It’s undeniable that so much of the common things we say are figurative, and cannot actually be taken literally. It’s the reason that English is so hard to learn as a new language, and that it is sometimes impossible to translate our phrases into a different language.

It, as Lakoff and Johnson’s piece proves, shapes our reality and our world. The examples that they give, “Argument is War” and “Time is Money” are just two of the many, many examples that show that metaphors are not just what we use to speak, but how we shape the way we think and act.

By comparing time to money, we are creating a society that values time as money, as a commodity that is valuable. We then are careful with how we “spend” it, are careful not to “waste” it, and may even “invest” it.

The reality is that while metaphors may begin as literary tools, but the language that we speak creates our world- our reality. English is a language of metaphors, confusing ones sometimes. And therefore, English speakers live in a world of metaphors.

I enjoyed reading Metaphors to Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. This article really opened my eyes to realize that terms I would normally use on an every day basis were seen that way. The authors found a way to show us that a metaphor is more than just a characteristic of language. I found the metaphorical analogies such as argument is war to be a good point on how we use metaphors without even noticing. “His criticisms were right on point. I demolished his argument.” Saying something like that used to just be what you say when arguing with one another. It’s only after I read this that I actually see these sayings as words also used as if one were to be in war. In the article, the author says, “Though there is no physical battle, there is a verbal battle, and the structure of an argument… reflects this.” I agree with this quote because saying something like, “He attacked every weak point in my argument” or “If you use that strategy , he’ll wipe you out” are words occasionally used in a physical war,let alone a verbal “war”.

Chapter 2, does similar to Chapter 1 with a different metaphorical term, “Time is money.” I’ve always heard the saying time is money but never looked at sayings such as, “I don’t have enough time time to spare for that” as a saying that is a metaphor and related to the time is money quote. Chapter 3 starts off by summarizing what was said in chapters one and two. It then proceeds to explain what a conduit metaphor is. After reading this, I learned that a conduit metaphor is a complex metaphor that turns ideas/meanings to objects, linguistic expressions are containers, and communication is sending. A conduit metaphor is used to show that words or sentences have meanings in themselves. Overall I enjoyed reading and learning from this article.

A metaphor is truly a powerful tool in the English language. It is a comfort zone for people without a complex understanding of the language. It is a way to extrapolate the definition of a word, context, idea or term without knowing the true and exact definition. In “Metaphors We Live By” by George Lakoff & Mark Johnson we see many examples of this form of exploration into the english language. When reading the sections on Argument is War and Time is Money we see how we commonly use terminology that is easy to understand to replace more difficult concepts. These terms become shorthand/shortcuts to longer sentences, ideas and concepts.

As I was reading through the text, I tried testing myself to come up with another similar type of category that goes in hand with what I was reading. The category i came up with was Senses in Slang.  The first phrase that popped into my head comes from a the popular  television show, The Simpsons, where one of the catchphrase used by head bully Nelson is “Smell ya later”. While conversing with a friend on the train this morning, explaining a particular situation, he helped me obtain another phrase in his response, “I hear that,” which lingered and made me realize this type of connection and the power that the metaphor has on everyday life.

Growing up in New York and having been immersed in the english language from birth, I never realized the importance of the metaphor and how commonly it is used in everyday life. After reading this article, I better understand that the metaphor is a way to articulate your thoughts (or speak what’s on your mind). Since reading this article, I have caught myself eavesdropping on neighboring conversations and picking up on these types of metaphors that normally slip by as normal conversation.

I would like to challenge anyone that reads this post to comment with a phrase that you have heard that would fit with my category of Senses in Slang.

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, a metaphor is “a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.” As a student, the only way in which I have learned or analyzed the use of metaphors is in my writing. That is why, whilst reading “Metaphors We Live By” by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, I was intrigued by the way in which the authors went into detail about how looking deeper into the meaning of metaphors reveals the real weight they carry in our everyday lives and even more so in our ways of thinking and conceptualizing.

In better words, this text describes this seemingly simple figure of speech as, “understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another.” Everything in our lives is connected: we learn on past experiences; we make associations between things we know and don’t know to better understand them. So to think that metaphors are a basis on which people develop their knowledge and on which they think is very sensible.

When I take a step back to reflect, it’s easier to see just how prominent metaphors are in society. An example that was used in Lakoff and Johnson’s text was “argument is war.” Right off the bat, it is easy to refute this statement because we recognize that war is so much greater and so much more destructive in ways than a mere conversational dispute. But in theory, there are many connections between arguments and wars. As Lakoff and Johnson point out, even the way in which we speak about the two ideas is similar. Both arguments and war involve two (or more) parties, a winning side and a losing side, and an issue that caused the fighting to arise. This shows that metaphors influence the way we think, in all types of situations.

The authors also push it further to say that metaphors impact the way we act. Because we associate argument and war, we have similar mannerisms we follow when carrying the two actions out. I really appreciated then how they described it by saying, “imagine a culture where an argument is viewed as a dance, the participants are viewed as performers, and the goal is to perform in a balanced and aesthetically pleasing way.” It is true that we would not consider this situation an argument based on what we think one is. But why do we think that way? I think Lakoff and Johnson described their beliefs in a way that made it easier for the reader to understand their perspective and I enjoyed seeing something so basic as a metaphor in a greater light.

Emily Weiss

02.04.2016

In Metaphors We Live By, written by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, the authors explore the idea that our conceptual system is in fact “metaphorical in nature”. I found the first three chapters of this novel very thought-provoking, considering that I have never thought of language as “metaphorical”. I was skeptical at first, but as I continued reading I realized the implications of metaphors such as “argument is war” and “time is money” on our language, as well as on our actions. The metaphors do not just change our expressions; they shape our thinking.

If the metaphor “time is money” did not exist, would we still refer to time with words such as wasting, investing, and saving? When I first read about this concept, it felt as if my whole perspective on language was a lie. I realized that although I do not use standard metaphors when I speak, I do in fact speak using metaphors. It feels so natural to talk about time as if it were money, I have never considered that maybe other people see time differently. When I read that conceptualizing time is tied to our culture and there are cultures that do not perceive time as a limited resource as well as a valuable commodity, a different thought emerged in my mind. If metaphors in the English language are connected with our culture, it means that other languages have completely different metaphorical concepts that can only be understood by understanding the culture itself. Learning a new language did not seem like an impossible task until now, when I realized that language is far more complicated than I thought. In order to truly understand a language, understanding the culture tied to the language is crucial. If it wasn’t for our culture’s association of time with money through hourly wages and “serving time”, expressions such as “saving time” would make no sense.

With metaphors being something we tend to use without thinking, Lakoff and Johnson’s, Metaphors We Live By, is somewhat of a deconstruction of what a metaphor truly is.  While at one point a metaphor might have been a thought or action, many metaphors have now become something that is instilled in our minds.  The more people looked to express themselves through a metaphor, the more society has come to accept these words as a norm.

The line “The essence of a metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another” pretty much sums up this whole situation.  It would only make sense that when we as a society gains more experience,more metaphors will have the opportunity to spring forth.  “Argument is war” is one of the metaphors they touched on during the piece and it was described as something we were hardly ever conscious of.  While our understanding of war may be something on a much larger scale, an argument is simply the same thing on a smaller scale.  It took time for people to put two and two together.  Just as how at one point we would have never thought of thinking of argument and war being anything close to the same, there was a time where time and money were never thought of as ever being able to go hand in hand.  This piece showed me another way of looking at not only metaphors, but how I think as a whole.  The way I talked really seemed to fit what Reddy documented, with how a number of expressions in English “account for at least 70 percent” my speaking. With many of the points the author touched on being noteworthy, it was clear that they wanted us to understand that our language as a whole is one that is ever-evolving.

I found it baffling that-throughout my entire life-I had not once perceived the significance metaphors have over me. If George Lakoff and Mark Johnson are correct in their novel, “The Concepts We Live By,” metaphors could potentially influence “what we perceive, how we get around in the world, and how we relate to other people.” In other words, metaphors dictate the way we live our lives. It’s unnerving that most of us haven’t even the slightest clue over the important role metaphors could play in their daily lives.

Lakoff and Johnson’s idea, that metaphors help us “understand and experience one kind of thing in terms of another,” seems to hold true in many aspects of our lives. A great example of this, as the authors mentioned, is the “metaphorical concept” of “time is money.” This concept helps us grasp why people in our culture establish the meaning of time by intertwining it with their understanding of money. Ever since we were young (especially in this country), most of us had the idea of money being a “valuable” and “limited” resource engraved in our heads (with statements like “money doesn’t grow on trees”). So if we mentally associate the time with money, we will experience them in similar ways.

“Argument is war,” is another excellent example of a “metaphorical concept” that dictates the way we perceive one thing through the lens of another. Although it shockingly makes perfect sense, I’ve never analyzed arguments through the perspective of war. My friends and I often find ourselves in quarrels, and without even realizing it we used strategy to attack and defend our ideas. We would even on occasions get exceedingly aggressive or create alliances -all of which is very similar to war.

With the help of metaphorical concepts, we could better understand why we treat certain things in particular ways; such as perceiving an argument as a battleground or viewing time as an invaluable resource.

-Borys

I enjoyed reading Metaphors We Live By because it provided insightful details about new perspectives on metaphors. Before reading the first few chapters written by George Layoff and Mark Johnson I had not given much thought about the importance of metaphors in language and how often I use them. Layoff and Johnson claim that metaphors “govern our everyday functioning, down to the most mundane details. Our concepts structure what we perceive, how we get around in the world, and how we relate to people”. Just from this excerpt we can see the importance of metaphors in the opinions of Layoff and Johnson. Further on in the chapter, Layoff and Johnson begin to discuss the concept of argument and how argument is perceived as war in our culture. This often has to do a lot with the metaphors we use when arguing with someone which often results in a variety of expressions that could dictate whether we win or lose the argument. In chapter 2, they discuss the value of time in our culture and how metaphorical expressions in our language can give us insight into the nature of our concepts. For example, the metaphor “time is money” implies that time is extremely limited and valuable a lot could be accomplished.

I agreed with many of the points Lakoff and Johnson made throughout the first few chapters. Because I can speak a variety of languages (Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi) I see the use of metaphors in more than just one language. This ties into what Dr. Alvarez was discussing in class were he said “no language is more complex than another, all languages are equally as complex”. The use of metaphors is extremely important in all of these languages and I use metaphors not only in English but all of those languages in a lot of my discussions with another individual. That is why I was able to agree with a lot of the points Lakoff and Johnson made through the first three chapters. 

Reading the first three chapters of Metaphors We Live By written by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson was interesting. The first chapter told us that metaphor is a language that everyone uses. We think and act, yet we are not aware of it. Lakoff and Johnson gave the example of “Argument is War”, through this example they explained that metaphors are structured and our language of argument is “not poetic, fanciful, or rhetorical; it is literal.” They further explained that our human thought process is metaphorical and when we speak of metaphor, it really means that it’s a metaphorical concept.

As I continued to read on I started understand more about metaphorical concepts. Lakoff and Johnson gave another example in which I think everyone has heard of it and can agree, time is money. They explained what that saying meant and I agree with it 100% even though we can never get back our time we spent do whatever it was that we were doing. I’ve heard this phrase being thrown from left to right as I was growing up. Perhaps its because we live in the most expensive city or that it is true that time is money. They explained that time is the most valuable commodity we have in our culture. They broke it down to exactly how time is money. All though most people have heard, time is money, it was explained that this commodity is mostly used in the Western culture. We are convinced and act that time is a limited resource as they explained and we either choose to spend it wisely or poorly. Time is money is a metaphorical concept. They explained that its metaphorical because “we are using our everyday experience with money…to conceptualize time.” It goes back to our culture on how we conceptualize time and how metaphors are characterizing our system. In my opinion it depends if someone chooses if time is a valuable commodity. The authors explained that in many other cultures and places time isn’t what humans want to conceptualize.

The last chapter Lakoff and Johnson retold us that metaphors are used in our everyday language and we don’t know it, in fact they quoted Michael Reddys documents, that 70% of the English language metaphors are hidden and we use metaphorical concepts to understand one another. Overall, this reading made me realize that in fact, we do use a lot of metaphors everyday.

I was very excited to read the first few chapters of George Lakoff’s Metaphors We Live By because last year I read his book Moral Politics and really enjoyed it.  Moral Politics applies Lakoff’s ideas regarding metaphors and cognitive science to political thinking and opinion-making.

When I began reading Metaphors We Live By, however, I was slightly disappointed.  The main problem, as it appeared to me, was that Lakoff emphasized how metaphors influence how we conceptualize the world around us (which was completely valid), but failed to acknowledge that we use different metaphors to understand certain concepts because of some real-life aspect of that concept.  The impression I got was that Lakoff saw metaphors as being somewhat arbitrary and only tangentially related to the concepts they correspond to.  Lakoff under-emphasized the extent to which metaphors are as much a reflection of some reality of the concept as a distortion of the concept in it’s entirety.

For instance, we use the argument–as-war metaphor to explain war at least in part because of the competitive aspects of argument and the impassioned feelings of rage that often accompany heated arguments.  The metaphor, it seems to me, does not create that impression of the concept of argument, i.e. the impression that arguments are competitive and often heated, but rather the metaphor expresses that impression of arguments.

This was at least the way that things appeared to me after the first two chapters or so.  In the third chapter, however, Lakoff acknowledged that metaphors hide certain aspects of the concepts, implicitly saying that metaphors only emphasize one concrete aspect of the concept over another.  This seemed to me much better than the tone of the first two chapters which, perhaps in an effort to get his point across, really stretched trying to make clear how metaphors inform our perceptions of concepts.

After finishing the reading, I found Lakoff’s ideas much more agreeable than they seemed to me as I was reading them.  The importance of Lakoff’s thought is not that he makes clear the specific dynamics underpinning the relationship between metaphors and our perception of the certain concepts, but rather that he sheds light on the fact that there is a relationship between the two, a fact which he correctly says virtually no one is consciously aware of.

      The first three chapters of the book “Metaphors We Live By” by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson state the hidden reality of metaphors in our conventional lives. Poetry and literature works are known for their figurative and metaphorically language, distracting our attention to the use of metaphors we use on our daily lives. A metaphor is the comparison of one thing to another without the use of like or as. This is what I have learned in literature class, never thinking of the actual use I have of metaphors in real life. Lakoff and Johnson have found that we use metaphors not only in language but through our daily actions and our everyday thoughts. One of the examples they state in their book is “Argument is war” not exactly referring to an actual war with weapons but the action of an argument. Human nature is to always try and win against their opponent, trying to make valid and strong points in order to have full control of the argument. Another metaphor we constantly use, especially in the USA, is “Time is money”. I personally use and agree with this metaphor since every minute counts towards your goals. These metaphors can’t be taken literal but the majority of individuals will understand it because it’s pretty much part of the English language or part of our culture.  Lakoff and Johnson realized that we have fallen into such “conventional way of thinking” and speaking that we let these unrealistic metaphors seem normal. For example I use the metaphor “You snooze, you lose” meaning if you don’t work hard enough for what you want, you will be left behind empty handed. From now on I will definitely pay more attention to my speech and take advantage of the beauty of our metaphoric language. This was an excellent read to start the semester. We were able to learn about something we actually use on our daily basis.

George Lakoff and Mark Johnson begins by listing a list of credentials in the acknowledgements, as if to assure the reader that they have the proper authority to write about the topic. Lakoff and Johnson gets straight to the point–that “our conceptual system is largely metaphorical” (3). According to Reddy documents, 70% of the English language that we speak contains metaphors (10). Lakoff and Johnson list examples of metaphors such as “argument is war” and “time is money”. Lakoff and Johnson states that metaphors are relative to the culture that is being used. Metaphors are dependent on the context or it would be meaningless.

There is another perspective as to why metaphors are so heavily engrained into one’s culture and language. By definition, metaphor is a figurative form of speech used to compare two objects. Metaphors can allow the listener to see a comparison and determine the relative importance to a concept that would be hard to grasp without a metaphor. For example, “time flies”; flying is a motion that allows for rapidity. By comparing time to flying, the listener can get a sense of the pace of time–it’s fast.

“Time flies” would be considered a conduit metaphor by Lakoff and Johnson. If hearing it for the first time, “time flies” is a confusing phrase. After all, time did not grow a pair of wings and start flying. Though, after hearing it for a few times, it’s easy to get the sense without the context. It’s been engrained into our knowledge. In that sense, conduit metaphors do not necessarily need a context unless the listener is being exposed to it for the first time.

A metaphor is known to be “a figure of speech that identifies something as being the same as some unrelated thing for rhetorical effect, thus highlighting the similarities between the two.” In my imagination a metaphor is just something that goes together in association with each other, but one that society has possibly constructed it to be, just by association and popularity of use. In Chapter 1 of “Metaphors We Live By”, Lakoff and Johnson believe that “The essence of metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another.”

The metaphorical example of “time is money” is something in my head that is not even a metaphor, but has come by to really mean and prove to be in and of itself its definition. The way a worker could be paid not even by the work he has accomplished throughout his day, but rather by time, shows the essence and importance of the time, because that is considered the actual value of his work.

Something interesting about metaphors is that they have different meanings and understandings that have to be adjusted for who, what, where and when you are talking. A metaphor has the capability of meaning nothing to someone, but making complete sense to someone else. This is seen in the article that the actual words of “Please sit in the apple juice seat”, are just a group of words without meaning or understanding, however the setting describes that of which people are about to sit for breakfast with only one of four seats containing a glass of apple juice, thus allowing it to be “The apple juice seat.” Had one not been at the table to differentiate that seat between the others, those words would seem null, This allows us as readers be able to see and understand the actual power of a metaphorical phrase.

While reading through the introductory paragraphs of the first chapter I had a sense of what Lakoff and Johnson were trying to convey in Metaphors We Live By regarding  metaphors and how writers use them to portray certain points to their readers. It wasn’t until l had read what Lakoff and Johnson said about argumentative speech using metaphorical phrases that I realized I use metaphors on a day to day basis.

As I got more into it I had a better understanding of what the authors were saying about metaphors and how the words we use shape the manner in which we speak. In chapter three the authors mention time and list an example of many different metaphors in regards to time. Reading through the list of metaphors I realized that I use quite a few of those sayings on a daily basis and didn’t even know how true it was. Time is always thought of in relation to money because it is considered to be so valuable. Even though I say “time is money” so often I never realized just how true it is in the U.S. until after reading about it.

Reading these chapters of the book gave me more insight and a better understanding of how metaphors are very much a part of our day to day lives. They also managed to relate it all to relevant metaphorical concepts that are interesting to read about and made me think about how much of an impact such concepts actually have on us. For example conceptualizing arguments in terms of war impacts the way an argument happens, the person you are arguing against is seen as an opponent and there is always a winner and a loser just like in war. The metaphors not only have an effect on us language wise but also on the way we think about certain topics, like arguments and how valuable time really is.

I’ve always remembered learning about metaphors and similes in my English classes in elementary school. It was always taught in a way that made it feel detached from my daily and ordinary language. We would learn what a metaphor is and how it is used, and how it is different from what a simile is and how a simile is used. We would then be instructed to spot these ‘poetic devices’ in sentences, or even to deliberately create our own. After reading the few chapters of Metaphors We Live By, by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, I realized how, in fact, ordinary and common metaphors are in our every day conversations. It is used so regularly, that I almost can’t imagine what it would be like not to use them. Lakoff and Johnson go even further to point out that metaphors are “pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought and action”. We even THINK metaphorically, most of the times without being aware of doing so (which is why the authors make note that metaphor can be defined more precisely as metaphorical concept, because they are conceptualized in our minds before being put into words)! It feels as though metaphors were “built in” to our language– no pun intended!

I felt especially connected to when the authors spoke about the two ways to view an “opponent” in an argument; as merely an arguer or as someone who is willing to give you his time. The authors shed positivity unto what otherwise may be viewed as an egotistical objective. This type of beneficial doubt is what I strive for in my life, so I was pleasantly surprised to read it in this short reading!!

I have always believed that metaphors are used for effective communication. After reading this extremely persuasive piece, I still feel the same way, even more so. There’s a central reason for why the use of metaphors are so pervasive in our everyday life. And it’s not just because our “ordinary conceptual system is fundamentally metaphorical in nature”(3). It’s so that people can communicate with each other effectively. Metaphors do not always have to be in written form. they can be translated from words to actions, actions to words. Personally, I have seen this many times. Being an immigrant of, I have seen my parents enter supermarkets and communicate with the workers using gestures. Most of the times, the workers understood even though there was no oral communication. My parents communicated with the workers through use of “gestures”. They are metaphors in a sense that my parents say “I want to purchase that” by simply pointing. When people cry, they are saying “I am sad.” When people point, they are saying “I want that.” Of course, there are many different interpretations, but those are a few ways in which metaphors are translated from action into words. It highlights that metaphors allows people to communicate effectively.

In addition, I find that this piece sets a rather pacifying tone. This is prevalent when the authors say “It is important that we don’t just talk about argument in terms of war”(4). Like I previously mentioned, metaphors are primarily used for people to communicate with each other effectively. If we do not talk about arguments in terms of war, it sets a more friendly mood, and leads to cooperation and negotiations. What I did not clearly understand was when the author mentioned that “time isn’t really money”(13). Time is abstract. Was the author’s intention to show that metaphors can mask concepts and the role of conduit metaphor? Most likely, it was just an example to show how metaphorically structuring should be partial, and not total.

Using metaphors in our daily lives make us have character. A metaphor is not just plain words; it is performed, literal, and argumentative. For example, saying “His words carry little meaning” sounds much better than “his words have no analysis”. I did not notice that I have been using metaphors throughout my daily life. Almost everyday, I tell myself and others that “time is money”. However, I never realized that that is a metaphor. I actually thought that time is money. Yet, in chapter 3 page 13, it says that time isn’t really money. The time that you invested, does not equal the time you earn. You can be stuck on a word problem for hours and by the end of the day, you might still not come up with the answer. On the other hand, time is money. If you did not pay your bills or mortgage on time, you will have a fee or a higher interest to pay, respectively. In addition, why do we say “time is money”, instead of “money is time”?

I like the idea that the author touched upon about how someone is willing to argue with you is actually giving you time. I find that to be totally true. If someone has no interest in talking to you. He/she would just ignore you, and does not care about a thing you say. Thinking back to the days when I argued with my siblings, I understand that it was a form of communication and connection. I also admire the “argument is war” concept because it literally is. For example, a lawyer would try her best to argue against her opponent, and her opponent would do the same in order to win the case. They will fight to the very end to win the battle, which is the case.

This reading has enlighten me. I will be alert in my speaking, so that I will be aware of when I am using metaphors.

The first three chapters of this book opens up the theory of conceptual definition of metaphors, according to which the metaphors are not simply a tool of speech decoration, is a process of interaction between the two structured houses of speech – sender and the receiver.

This book shows up a whole new meaning of use metaphors in our daily life. This book is very easy to read and there are no long and difficult definitions, authors tried to write down this book as easy as possible so every single person was able to understand it. First three chapters give us a visible example of metaphors we use in our everyday life such as: ‘Argument is war’ and ‘Time is money’. I want to look a little closer on the metaphor – time is money. I was born in country where people are getting paid every months at the end of the month and never count hours or even minutes spent at work because usually they receiving the same amount of money every month. When I came to United States and found my first job I was surprised when I got paid for every minute I spent at work. So, basically, the meaning of the metaphor “Time is money’ in US have a straight connection and it is no longer a metaphor for a lot of people here. Personally I never thought about it from this perspective.

Another good example from the authors is when they were able to show to the reader how conduit metaphor can connect only specific people from mass on the example of ‘Please sit in the apple-juice seat’, for most of the people this sentences will make no sense, but for the right person this words be like the order for action, he exactly knows what he needs to do. I found this chapters interesting and new for myself.

The introductory paragraphs of the first chapter, Concepts We Live By, describe my opinion and understanding I had of metaphors prior to the completion of the first three chapters of the book. I envisioned metaphors to be part of the language  poets and writers use to provide imagery and connections for their readers.  After Layoff and Johnson analyzed mundane speech metaphorically, ” Time is Money,” I noticed my thoughts drift to culture. The authors mentioned that our perceptions of considering argument to be war and time to be money is largely due to the way we have been socialized to view them. They go on to say that if we look at different cultures,  perceptions of these concepts may differ. And so, I came to the conclusion that these concepts mentioned and not mentioned in the book may be the studied cultural universals (marriage, funeral rights, taboos, currency or exchange methods, gender roles, etc). Distinct cultures come up with their own metaphors for their cultural universals.

In relation to gender roles, our culture established two metaphors:  masculinity is strength and femininity is weakness. (Although I am not quite sure I can define these as  metaphors; I would have to define explicitly what strength and weakness are.) (Similarly, although strides have been made to socially eradicate these notions, these assumptions still exist.) Assuming I have defined plausible measures, I went on to think of every day speech to support these statements. Often times we hear ” You run like a girl,” or “Don’t cry, you’re a man,” establishing that running like a girl means running almost childlike and that men aren’t to cry because that shows weakness. The notion of gender roles are present in all cultures; however, the way cultures value gender roles differ. Just because in egalitarian societies women pick berries and cook food while the men hunt, doesn’t mean that the jobs the women do aren’t equally as important to survival.