- “Metaphors are a fundamental mechanism through which our minds conceptualize the world around us, especially in the face of complexity.”
- I completely agree with this quote. Metaphors in my opinion, form the English language that we know today. Metaphors are all around us today, and sometimes, metaphors are used when we don’t even realize it. People try to make comparisons all the time, including comparing words with other words. Metaphors can make things complicated as well, giving more meaning to what is said or in describing something. Even though metaphors aren’t the only form of comparison used in language, it is very easy for people to use, and it gives a different feel to the text or sentences people try to use. It would be boring to only talk literally, but to include comparisons and relations in text makes language more energetic.
2. “Life with chronic disease is a marathon, not a sprint, with bumps on the road and frequent detours.”
2. From my understanding, chronic disease is a disease that last for months and affects the human in many different ways. Regardless, it’s not a fun experience, and many people struggle to fight it. With this description, I completely agree with this quote. A sprint is a fast race, and a marathon is a long, pain-staking run. Chronic disease is definitely more like a marathon because the sickness lasts forever. I couldn’t imagine having the flu for 3 months, never mind a disease. This isn’t even the worst of it because this isn’t any ordinary marathon. There will be detours and bumps, just like having to be in a hospital or trying to get your life back on track. This quote just further shows how words and comparisons can give so much meaning to ideas, and it makes a much bigger impact on the reader.
3. “Metaphors may be as necessary to illness as they are to literature, as comforting to the patient as his own bathrobe and slippers.”
3. This quote has so much meaning to it, that you have to be able to dig very deep into it to understand what the author is trying to tell you. I definitely agree with this quote. This quote is essentially saying that metaphors and literature go together like bread and butter, which of course, they do. The author is trying to say that the metaphors are like bread and butter with illness as well, and that a good metaphor can make a patient feel comforted and relaxed. When they hear a good metaphor, it can stimulate feelings in your brain that wouldn’t have happened with just normal speech. To hear these exciting comparisons or motivating ideas can make a patient happier, and it gives them something worth fighting for. Metaphors are essential for helping a patient out, and it, for sure, makes them more comfortable and a better fighter.
Geary – “I think, therefore I am.”
I picked this quote because it shows the idea that what people think can cause them to have those emotions. If people think they have to fight a disease, they will either be able to fight it with motivation, or they will feel pressure, and crumble when they can’t handle it anymore.
Erard – “Designing metaphors makes you look around and realize how much of the language we use has been engineered to create its effect…”
Metaphors are made to affect people and give off a positive or negative vibe. Just like how metaphors are given to patients to make them better fighters or to relax them, it was done with a purpose to have that affect.
Hello! I really liked the quotes that you picked and your opinions on them. I never really considered much about metaphors until this class and it’s interesting to see people’s viewpoints on them and their importance. I especially like the third quote you chose, I missed it in my initial read through and you did a good job elaborating and expanding on that idea.
Excellent. I believe that the philosopher Rene Descartes was the first person to say, “I think, therefore I am” as a very real way to convince himself of his existence. Talk about the power of thought! 🙂