Name: Metaphorically speaking
Uploaded: 2009-12-17T15:48:00Z
Duration: 9 min 13 s
Description: Aphorism enthusiast and author James Geary waxes on a fascinating fixture of human language: the metaphor. Friend of scribes from Aristotle to Elvis, metaphor can subtly influence the decisions we make, Geary says.

*Poetics*

*Romeo and Juliet*

Kiki or Bouba? In Search of Language's Missing Link

Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions

The psycholinguistics of metaphor

Metaphors and the market: Consequences and preconditions of agent and object metaphors in stock market commentary

Seeing the past in the present: The effect of associations to familiar events on judgments and decisions

The Poet

Aphorism enthusiast and author James Geary waxes on a fascinating fixture of human language: the metaphor. Friend of scribes from Aristotle to Elvis, metaphor can subtly influence the decisions we make, Geary says.

Metaphorically speaking

Metaphors are everywhere, woven into language and thought, with people using about six every minute. They help people grasp abstract ideas, trigger emotions, and shape expectations more vividly than literal statements ever could. Research shows that metaphors can even sway financial decisions and influence judgments in ways most never notice. By making connections between what is known and unknown, metaphors power creativity, learning, and scientific breakthroughs.