Anyone who has worked with me knows that I love to use an analogy.  Or a metaphor.  Similes make me smile.  I sometimes mix them up, which causes my writer/editor friends to cringe, but I think just adds to my charm. But you won’t be surprised to hear that it’s all for a purpose.  Analogies can be incredibly useful tools when trying to communicate ideas to others – especially when you’re discussing topics of personal development, where individual understanding is crucial.

First, a primer: what’s the difference between these things?

• Metaphor: a word or phrase describing one thing that is distinctly unrelated to another, to draw attention to similarities.  Metaphors are figurative, not literal comparisons.
  • “This management book will be your toolbox.”
• Simile: a figure of speech in which a specific quality of two things is compared in order to make or emphasize one. 
  • “That cookie I ate was as big as a house!”
• Analogy: a comparison of two things, in order to explain or clarify one of them. Analogies are more complex statements and can include metaphors or similes.
  • “This project is in trouble – it’s a sinking ship.”

At the risk of further enraging my writer/editor friends, I’ll suggest that the distinction between these things is not terribly important for successful verbal communication. Understanding how to craft a good analogy can be tricky, but is a strong skill to develop in your writing. But be aware, many common metaphors are seen as cliche, so be aware of the setting and situation where you’re using them.

So why should you use these tools?  Because ideas are complex, especially ideas that involve the intrinsic link between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Understanding is the first step in helping someone accept something – whether it’s a bold new idea, or a specific piece of feedback.  Understanding leads to awareness, awareness leads to acceptance, and acceptance leads to action.

By finding another idea that is well understood by the other person, they can relate the new idea to one they understand.  The connections between thoughts and actions become more clear.  People are able to draw a connection between something they know and understand, and something they don’t know but looks similar. The thought process is “if the new thing looks like that old thing, and that old thing works in this way, then the new thing must work this way too” (more or less). This is a powerful mechanism for understanding, for changing minds, and for persuading others.

The power of these words is the human brain – the most amazing relating device on the planet.  The human brain can see, create, and comprehend connections intuitively.  It’s called pattern recognition, and while some may be better than others, we all have the intuitive ability.  By offering up something known and understood, and showing a relationship with something unknown, the other person’s brain is able to jump in and start identifying the similarities. And it works without even trying – understanding delivered like magic.