Subject: Summary - How Do We Think About Models

Posted by Niall Palfreyman on 1/27/2010
In Reply To:Summary - How Do We Think About Models Posted by Bill Braun on 1/27/2010

Message:

Bill Braun schrieb:
> For a fourth or fifth grader, I expect the metaphors to be powerful
> and effective. What about when talking to the president of the school
> board?
My view: It is impossible to speak without metaphor. I teach physics, and I'm acutely aware that almost everything I say is simply untrue, but close enough to be useful. For me a metaphor is simply a story whose plot is isomorphic to some situation of interest - the tightness of this isomorphism can be chosen to suit the listener. Personally, I find the phrase "barriers to peak performance" so off-putting that I'd opt for the Bellinger Bugs most days of the week.
> I am not speaking ill of metaphors. I think they have their place (and
> a good place at that). I question (but do not claim to know for sure)
> if the president of the school board has the time or interest in
> metaphorical stories.
I think it depends on her mood at the time. If she is desperate for the answer to a specific situation, she'll want a story which is close enough to her view of the situation to make sense. However if she is very defensive on the subject, I would go for a story which is far enough from home to not be too threatening. And if we're standing in an elevator, then it'll have to be such a short story that some details are going to have to be dumped overboard, necessarily moving the metaphor a little further away from her view of the world.

Best wishes,
Niall Palfreyman.

Follow Ups:

Summary - How Do We Think About Models - Bill Braun 1/27/2010 
Summary - How Do We Think About Models - Niall Palfreyman 1/28/2010