Metaphors Are So Part of What Allows Us to Have Concepts

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There was very something very cool about reading this where you realize how much of life is more for a girl. And I'm way more than I would have thought, like, by many orders of magnitude. It helps to contrast the real stripped-down version metaphors are nothing but linguistic flourishes with the extreme version that they're part of what allows us to even have concepts. Without having bodies in this physical space, our concepts would be completely different.

We often think of metaphors as poetic flourishes, a nice way to punctuate your ideas and make them more relatable. But what if metaphors arenâ€™t simply tools of language but part of thought itself? David and Tamler â€œdive intoâ€ George Lakoffâ€™s theory of metaphors and â€œexploreâ€ the implications of his view that metaphors shape and constrain the ways we conceptualize our experience of the world. Plus if weâ€™re really living in cancel culture, we might as well do some cancelling. Say goodbye to "Singing in the Rain," Latinx, and punny academic titles among other things.

Oh and itâ€™s our 250th episode! Itâ€™s been quite a journey. Have we come a long way or are we just spinning our wheels? And for a fun detour, check out our bonus podcast series â€œThe Ambulatorsâ€ on the great TV series Deadwood.