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.
I agree with your point of metaphors being something that requires a solid grasp of culture itself. It is because the metaphor “time is money” is so commonly thought of as being a normal way of thinking that our society has simply come to accept it without it completely being true for everyone. Someone who has a complete understanding of a given culture would view the metaphor differently than someone who is still trying to get a grasp of what the culture is truly about.
Your analysis of the cultural aspect of metaphors stood out to me. I’ve studied a second language myself as well, to a large extent, and it reminds me of how important it is while trying to learn to be able to speak with native speakers and immerse yourself in their world in order to better understand it. There are metaphors and other aspects of a language that tie into their connected cultures and they vary greatly between those of other languages. Whether it be a joke, a saying, or a metaphor, these cannot easily be translated between languages because they mean something different to each culture.
I was intrigued by your question do other people see time as money, and I would like to answer it using the ideas transpired by Lakoff and Johnson. This looks extremely similar to how they say if arguing is done through dance, then would we see the people as arguing. I can understand from there that people who see time differently are definitely not using these choice words of saving, spending and waisting. Rather, to them time can be like a dance, just as the authors say.
I agree to the full extent that a culture needs to be understood prior to being able to understand their lingo, not just their language. Just as some phrases don’t cross over languages, so too some metaphorical concepts only apply to certain cultures.
I think you have a great point when tying the concept of the metaphor to culture. I believe the english language has a different approach to the metaphor than other languages. In English, when using verbs in sentences there is one form as in, “they went,” “he went,” “she went.” When you come across many other languages they are not this general in nature, rather they use conjugations between masculine and feminine along with singular and plural. With this in mind, I can definitely see how culture and language can have a certain effect on the tool of the metaphor.