Do you ever try to explain abstract ideas?
Can be tricky, right?
Abstract concepts are difficult to grasp because we can’t visualize or touch abstract ideas.
So, what to do?
In this blog post, I’ll show you how to use metaphors to explain abstract ideas. Metaphors are the spices that add taste, color, and fragrance to your writing.
Metaphors:
- Make abstract ideas concrete so they’re easier to understand
- Add fun and personality so your writing stands out
- Evoke an emotion so your ideas become more memorable
Here’s how …
Metaphor 1: How to surf time
I recently read Paul Loomans’ excellent book Time Surfing.
Loomans proposes a Zen-inspired method of time management, and he calls this method time surfing.
Time surfing is a metaphor because we don’t literally jump on a surfing board to navigate the waves of time. And just like a surfer can’t control the waves of the ocean, we can’t control time. Time passes by whether we like it or not.
The idea of time surfing appeals to me because it creates a sense of movement, fluidity, and freedom.
It makes me think of Easkey Britton’s memoir on big wave surfing. Could Looman’s method of time management make me as intuitive, focused, and calm as a her?
Metaphor 2: To do’s as a string of beads
To consider a day’s activities, Loomans suggests imagining a string of beads.
Some beads may be shiny, colorful, and appealing; other beads may be dull and rather ugly. Some beads are big; some are tiny.
When I look at my string of beads for today, I see a curry-colored, shiny, mid-sized bead that looks appealing to me: I’m cooking my favorite noodles tonight. Yum. I also see a grey and ugly bead: Bookkeeping. Ugh.
Loomans advises:
- Choose one bead at a time, and trust your intuition to pick up the right bead at the right time.
- Create space between the beads to give yourself a breather—an opportunity to reflect on a task you’ve just finished and to consider what task you’ll choose next.
By choosing one bead at a time and by respecting the space between the beads, we can approach time more calmly. Instead of switching between tasks frantically, we can be more focused and effective.
Even though I mostly work like this already, thinking about the beads reinforces my approach of focusing on a single task at a time. It also helps me move further away from SHOULDs and lean more into my intuition to get work done.
Metaphor 3: The gnawing rats in our lives
We all have tasks that we resist, like filling in our tax returns, clearing the shed, or cleaning the bathroom.
Loomans calls such tasks gnawing rats, and he tells us a story about Mia, the pet rat of his daughter. Mia roams the house at daytime and steals cat food:
Although we can’t see her, we can certainly hear her chewing. Once she’s stashed away enough of the cat food in her secret spots around the house, she’ll come over and climb onto your foot and up the leg of your trousers. The journey ends on your shoulder. At night, Mia has to go back in her cage, otherwise we wake up in the middle of the night to the sounds of crunching and gnawing under our bed as Mia works on her hidden cat food.
The idea of the gnawing rats is clear, eh? They’re noisy; and their noise interrupts your sleep.
Tasks you’re putting off can also keep you awake at night. They “eat away at you under the surface, demanding attention but not receiving it.”
To deal with our gnawing rats, Loomans suggests:
Have an actual look at it if you can, or if not, then visualize it. Tell yourself you don’t have to do the task right away. You’re only going to get acquainted with it. You can then identify the reasons for your strained relationship with this task.
Identifying the problem with our gnawing rats is the first step in befriending them, so we can turn them into white sheep that follow us meekly without interrupting our sleep.
Sound good?
How metaphors explain abstract concepts
To use metaphors, compare like for like:
- Managing time and surfing are both activities. So, you can surf the waves of the sea or the waves of time.
- A list of to-do’s and a string of beads are both series. So, you can string a series of activities together just like you can string beads together in an order of your choosing.
- Gnawing rats and difficult tasks can keep you awake. So, you need to find a way to silence them.
Next, make sure the metaphor creates the right emotion or feeling:
- Surfing time gives a sense of motion, fluidity, and freedom. It feels positive, inviting you to try it out.
- The beads on the string create a mix of feelings, some are big and ugly, others are colorful, shiny, and smaller. Some tasks also invite resistance while others put a smile on our face.
- Gnawing rats do not sound pleasant. Just typing the phrase makes me cringe. In contrast, white sheep are cuddly, making me instantly relax. So, the idea of turning gnawing rats into white sheep appeals to me.
Metaphors not only help explain abstract ideas—like time management—more clearly, they’re also more vivid: They add emotion, color, and personality. They help shape your voice.
The persuasiveness of metaphors
As I learned about Time Surfing, I realized I am already an amateur time-surfer.
I already know how to befriend my gnawing rats. I already treat my to-do list as a checklist rather than a list of SHOULDs. The SHOULDs have mostly stopped bullying me.
I tend to focus on one task at a time but don’t always follow my intuition when choosing.
Loomans’ vivid metaphors invite me to surf a little more.
That’s the power of good metaphors.
“Feeding the rat”
A term we use in rock climbing.
As in I just have to go grip and rip the crag.
Or else I’ll go nuts.
Feeding the rat can mean at least try to solve the puzzle, (tempted at first to use the word problem, as suggested by A.I. ?! But way too 1st world meow, meow “problem” after watching the news about Maui), work out a route that’s haunting you.
I love this post. But I have to admit it’s making me think. In a good way. I need to revisit and digest.
Thanks.
I hope this message finds you well.
P.S. Cool book I just discovered.
“Consolations; The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words “-David Whyte
I came across one of David Whyte’s poems recently. So good: https://vimeo.com/251995359
I will check out that book, too. Thank you! It sounds good.
I also like your suggestion to feed the rat. I think it’s a similar approach to what Paul Looman is suggesting. He also talks about it as “go to the shed.” It’s like when you don’t want to clear out the shed, your first task is just to go and have a look and familiarize yourself with the puzzle. I like your suggestion to use puzzle rather than problem.
Thank you, as always, Phil for stopping by. I appreciate your comments and reading suggestions. 🙂
Thanks for the cool link to David Whyte’s video. Totally worth the price of admission.
Yeah, I like looking at challenges as puzzles rather than problems. Way more positive energy to work with.
And I don’t mean to brag but recently I finished a jigsaw puzzle,(Fluffy bunny riding a unicorn on white sandy beach with a double rainbow in the background), in just over a week. On the box it said something about 2-4 years.
O.K. I’ll stop being so serious.
I hope this message finds you well.
Thanks again.
I’m surprised it took you a week 😉
“Before sunrise, I’m back sitting in the same spot on the same stone wall. The wind is ripping over the mountaintop. The moon is still high and approaching full, casting shadows on the ground. Clouds are low in the valley below. The sky goes purple, then gently pink, asking permission for the new day. Dawn chases the wind away. I miss my wife.”-Andrew McCarthy-
From, “Walking With Sam” a book about the 500-mile Camino de Santiago de Compostela journey of discovery.
A great read that compliments Whyte’s poem nicely.
I can also recommend the movie, “The Way,” with Martin Sheen and his “good” son. if you’re looking for something to tuck into on a gray day.
Even Arnold himself mentions Walking the Way in his new book, “Be Useful.”
I hope this message finds you well.
Thanks
This sounds so good! I’m looking forward to reading it.
Did I mention before that I cycled one of the Camino de Santiago routes? It was amazing.
Thanks again for your recommendation, Phil.
Hi lovely Henneke, I’m a big fan of metaphors, and particularly love authors who use them well. You chose great examples to illustrate your post. I particularly relate to the gnawing rat… except Loomans missed an important point. Even with the rat locked in its cage for the night, I’d lie awake worrying about where the little tyke had hidden its stashes. How disgusting… hidden caches of cat food going mouldy and smelly, attracting flies and mice. I’m shuddering here at the very thought. 😉
I’m with you, Sue. I don’t think I’d want a pet rat in my house, and if I had a pet rat, then I wouldn’t let it out of its cage!
Henneke! I finally got to finish reading this! It took me awhile! Ha!
I let professionals handle the rats in my life, haha! So I had a small wreck with the sidewalk, and decided to allow a professional cleaning person handle my floors, here, until my shoulder healed. Downloading a job I do not enjoy was wonderful, for a few weeks, but it’s expensive, too.
Usually, I like to list what I’ve done, rather than what I plan to do, as my plans keep slipping away from me. Only the things I must remember, such as appointments, land on my todo list. I’m going to try surfing, though. I think I grasp that idea and I want to learn to think on a grander scale. 🙂
I love your idea of letting professionals handle the rats in our lives. I do some of that already but maybe I can do a bit more and work with my cuddly sheep instead 🙂
Happy time-surfing!
Thank you for stopping by, Katharine.
One challenge is to understand what the abstract idea is. Copywriting can be abstract to some. The difference from general writing is not always clear. So what I think is easy, others may think is hard. To explain one of those abstract copywriting ideas so someone goes Aha! is like a charger for my workday. It is the battery that gives me energy that lasts the whole day.
Me confidently separating similes from metaphors, however, is still a work in progress 😉
Such a good point! Thanks so much for bringing this up.
The general rule is that anything you can’t touch is abstract. So, copywriting is indeed abstract. What I missed out in my article is that it’s okay to use abstract terms if you write for experts. Amateurs, however, need vivid examples, metaphors, or stories to make those abstract ideas clear.
People seem to use different definitions for similes, metaphors, and analogies. It’s confusing. I’d say, knowing how to differentiate them is not as important as knowing how to use them.
Henneke,
Your posts are the bright spot in my email box! Every single time, I look forward to opening them. It’s like getting a hand-written letter from a friend when I want to sit down with a cup of tea and absorb every word and idea in my quiet space.
That’s great feedback. Thank you, Kit. Lovely to share a cup of tea with you from time to time.
Metaphors. The word rolls in my tongue like something forbidden. Yet, it’s one of the ways you can make a stale sentence into a vibrant piece of art.
Thanks for bringing this up. Great, as usual.
I remember the first time I used a metaphor in my writing. I was worried that readers would think it was weird. But it got a good reaction and I now love metaphors.
I like the way you explain things, Henneke. Even if I write mainly in French, your suggestions are precious and enrich my writings. With appreciation!
Thank you, Monique. I appreciate your comment. It’s so nice when writing tips work across languages. It usually works.