You can't understand Twenty-first-Century Politics with an Eighteenth-Century Brain.
George LakoffRead
Moreover, metaphor is typically viewed as characteristic of language alone, a matter of words rather than thought or action. For this reason, most people think they can get along perfectly well without metaphor. We have found, on the contrary, that metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought and action. Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Metaphors are not just linguistic tools but fundamental to our thinking and actions.
George Lakoff emphasizes that metaphors extend beyond mere language; they are deeply embedded in the way we think and behave. Many people underestimate the importance of metaphors in their daily lives, viewing them only as fanciful language rather than recognizing their integral role in shaping our conceptual frameworks and guiding our actions.
Themes
MetaphorThoughtActionLanguageConceptual System
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about creativity, one might quote Lakoff to illustrate the importance of metaphors in inspiring innovation.
More from George Lakoff
All quotes →Do we really think that the United States will have the protection of innocent Afghans in mind if it rains terror down on the Afghan infrastructure? We are supposedly fighting them because they immorally killed innocent civilians. That made them evil. If we do the same, are we any less immoral?
George LakoffRead
The mind is inherently embodied._x000D_ Thought is mostly unconscious._x000D_ Abstract concepts are largely metaphorical.
George LakoffRead
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