Analogies, metaphors, similes–help us understand one thing in terms of another. Below is a metaphor for mind. If you agree with it. Ok; if not let’s have your own metaphor.
Mind is like a cave filled with spiders. They extend their webs from wall to wall. They capture prey in their nets and devour them. They blend the foreign juice (prey) into themselves.
Is this description simply poetic/ Or does it have explanatory possibilities?
A cave man sees another person floating down a river by clinging to a floating tree.—hence the idea for a boat. We create because of our ability to think metaphorically. What is a good metaphor for how minds work?
I wasn’t referring to sick minds. The OP is about metaphors that describe what mind in general is like. To see mind as a party subject to a demonic clown is more negative than I would have wished to see here. Please don’t vomit in my thread.
Metaphor is the essence of human creativity. We see what is and imagine what is not based on our seeing what is. Example-- a round rock rolls down a hill. The primitive man observes and creates a wheel. So what is mind like that we could create from it computers, radios, television, cameras, etc. According to Marshal MacLuhan , we create from our physical experiences of being a human–cameras are metaphors for sight; computers are metaphors for brain. Is the concept of mind too ephemeral to allow explanation by metaphor?
Sick minds? Distinguished from what exactly? Laughs
Metaphors are concepts that are artificially induced and the pity is that the human herd of simpletons can’t tell the difference between conceptual metaphor or reality anymore.
Such is mark of the retarded simpletons conflating their metaphors with reality to where they can no longer tell the difference anymore.
This mental disease has festered everywhere and has spread to all forms of public institutions or government.
Civilization and society across the entire world needs to be violently cleansed or purged of this degrading filth.
What is a decent metaphor for mind? In general, what is mind like? Is using mind to describe mind an impossibility?
A mind is a nuerological organ and processor. Metaphors are not necessary in describing it.
But you just used two metaphors to describe mind. So be it. You are on my ignore list. Have a happy day.
How exactly is an organ a metaphor? Is physiology somehow metaphoric?
You’ve shown your true colors putting me on ignore. Go cut out and run because you can’t have a debate.
For the record there is nothing metaphoric about the mind once empirical neurology is involved.
Strange, because I find metaphors highly useful in communicating ideas.
To an extent yes, but not when people actually confuse such things with reality itself.
Can we explain anything without using metaphors? Especially explaining something new and strange to us? In the age of computers brain is often seen as hardware, while mind is seen as software. When our technologies continue to progress, we may have a new metaphor for mind in the not too distant future. The universe as mind is a metaphor.
I agree with Ultimate Philosophy 1001. But would go further in stating that metaphors are not only useful in communication, they are sometimes necessary.
The closest analogy of the mind which I have ever seen was put forth by James; two house system of governance. Upper house represents subconscious portion and lower house conscious one.
With love,
Sanjay
Which James-ours or William? Is there a distinction between analogy and metaphoric representation? BTW, I appreciate the analogy.
The very James.S.Saint of ILP.
Though I am not that good with English but my understanding is that analogy is closer to original than metaphor.
With love,
Sanjay
no pun intended … in keeping with the analogy/metaphor should we call the notion of “extended mind” the Out House … the place some people go for a data dump … a reformat … the place where some people go to have what some people call a conversion experience.