Use metaphorical thinking to explain complex ideas
- Identify what you are trying to communicate.
- Determine the essence of the message.
- Think of other instances in life where that same characteristic, idea, emotion, state, etc. applies.
- There may be many metaphors for the situation you are describing – choose the one that will best relate to your audience.
When you use a metaphor to link two ideas together, you are combining elements that have little or no logical connection.
Take the problem of creating a new product. You could attack the problem logically, and simply redevelop an existing product, or analyze what your competition is doing. You might come up with a quick solution, but will you hit the jackpot?
Brainstorming is great for getting the creative juices flowing, it can open up a floodgate of ideas (more metaphors!) However, people may still be constrained by the images they have of the current problem, or by their preconceived notions about the potential solutions.
When using metaphors for solving problems, you link the problem to something seemingly unrelated. Doing this allows your brain to see the issue from a completely different perspective – one that you may not even have known existed.
If the problem is how to create a successful new product, you could use the metaphor of someone learning another language. The next step is to generate solutions to the problem of learning another language rather than the problem of creating a new product. As you identify various solutions to the metaphorical problem, you can then relate these back to the real problem. Chances are, you will come up with some creative ideas for solutions.
Use metaphorical thinking to help explain complex ideas, create impact in your presentations, and think outside the box.
What if preachers could tap into the power of metaphor to communicate more vividly and memorably? Ref: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/metaphor-part-2-the-pin-prick-of-metaphor/