chapter 5

恨如冰

Chapter 5 of the book,  shows the profound connection between metaphors and the values that underpin a culture. Lakoff and Johnson argue that metaphors are not mere linguistic ornaments but systematic frameworks that shape how we perceive, think, and act. They illustrate this through examples like "TIME IS MONEY," a metaphor deeply embedded in Western industrial societies, where time is quantified, budgeted, and "spent" much like a tangible resource. This metaphor doesn’t just describe our relationship with time; it defines it, reflecting a cultural obsession with productivity and efficiency.
What struck me most was the realization that cultural values and metaphorical systems are mutually reinforcing. Take the "UP-DOWN" orientational metaphors—"HAPPY IS UP," "HIGH STATUS IS UP"—which aren’t arbitrary. They stem from physical experiences like standing upright (associated with vitality) and looking up to those in authority, then evolve into cultural norms. These metaphors create a coherent worldview: when we say someone "rose to power," we’re not just describing movement but affirming a cultural hierarchy where upward mobility signifies success.
The chapter also challenges the notion of universal rationality. Different cultures employ distinct metaphorical systems. In a society where arguments are seen as "dances" rather than "wars," the goals of discourse shift from "winning" to achieving aesthetic harmony. This made me reflect on how my own language learning involves not just vocabulary but absorbing these invisible cultural scripts. As an English major, I’ve noticed how idioms like "hit the nail on the head" (problem-solving as precision) reveal a Western emphasis on directness, contrasting with my native language’s metaphors that might prioritize indirectness.
Lakoff and Johnson’s insight—that metaphors create "cultural coherence" by making abstract values tangible—feels revelatory. It explains why misunderstandings arise not just from vocabulary gaps but from clashing metaphorical frameworks. When I read about how the "CONDUIT METAPHOR" (ideas as objects transmitted through language) shapes Western views on communication, I wondered: How many of my assumptions about "clarity" in writing are tied to this specific metaphor?
This chapter taught me to read language as a cultural map. Every metaphor is a thread in the fabric of a society’s beliefs, revealing both its priorities and its blind spots. As I study English, I’ll now pay closer attention to these threads—not just to speak fluently, but to understand the worldview they weave. Metaphors, it turns out, are the lens through which a culture sees itself—and through which we can better see each other.