Deconstructing Analogies

When we deconstruct analogies, we find out why they function so effectively.

Analogies meet five criteria:

• Use the highly familiar to explain something less familiar.
• Highlight similarities and obscure differences.
• Identify useful abstractions.
• Tell a coherent story. The narrative need not be accurate. It is the feeling and ideas the analogy evokes that makes it powerful.
• Resonate emotionally.