Metaphors We Live By
George Lakoff
Discover how metaphors are far more than literary flourishes; they are the invisible blueprints that structure our logic, emotions, and daily interactions. By uncovering these hidden linguistic frameworks, you will gain a transformative perspective on how human beings perceive reality and learn how to consciously reshape the way you think and communicate.
The Architecture of Thought
Metaphor is not merely a linguistic flourish but the fundamental framework through which we perceive the world. We explore how conceptual mappings shape our everyday actions and social interactions.
Battleground of Ideas
Blind Spots and Spotlights
Building with Metaphor
The Network of Meaning
The Physicality of Logic
Our concepts are grounded in our physical bodies and how we move through space. This chapter breaks down spatial and substance-based metaphors that dictate our logic.
Up, Down, and All Around
Defining the Indefinable
The Boundaries of Self
Giving Life to the Abstract
Experiential Grounding
Metaphors don't appear out of thin air; they are rooted in direct physical experience. We look at metonymy and the sensory foundations of our conceptual system.
The Part for the Whole
Primary Experiences
Patterns in the Mind
Creating New Realities
If metaphors structure our thought, then new metaphors can change our reality. This chapter explores the creative power of metaphor in culture and personal growth.
A New Way of Being
Cultural Coherence
Defining Truth
The Experientialist Alternative
Breaking the stalemate between 'objective' and 'subjective' truth. This final chapter proposes a third way based on the human experience.
The Myth of Objectivism
The Myth of Subjectivism
The Middle Way
Understanding as Empathy
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