I totally agree. The problem here is not the creation of these metaphors though, but their elaboration and reception. And the bigger problem is that we already carry around so many obsolete or suboptimal cultural concepts without subjecting them to scrutiny despite changed social circumstances or improved technology. I think continuously trying to both (a) collect granular data by immersing ourselves in its context so we can sniff out bad aggregate explanations and (b) come up with new metaphors for what we see is essential – the former keeps us honest, and the latter extends our mental reach.
As you say, the problem is just grasping the surface metaphor without examining the details. For myself, I like having the surface metaphors as a way of storing and communicating ideas, because once I’ve established that someone has a deep understanding of a concept, I can talk about it at a high level with a high data transmission rate.
As you say, the problem is just grasping the surface metaphor without examining the details. For myself, I like having the surface metaphors as a way of storing and communicating ideas, because once I’ve established that someone has a deep understanding of a concept, I can talk about it at a high level with a high data transmission rate.