Metaphors We Live By

炸鱼饼

"Metaphors We Live By" : Unlocking the Wondrous World of Language and Cognition
After reading the book "Metaphors on Which We Survive", I seemed to embark on a wonderful journey to explore the mysteries of language and thinking. It not only overturned my traditional understanding of language, but also enabled me to deeply understand the thinking codes hidden behind language and its profound influence on our lives.
This book made me truly understand for the first time that metaphor is not merely a rhetorical device. In daily life, we often use metaphors such as "Time is money" and "Love is a journey", but never think deeply about the meanings behind them. Through rigorous research, the authors George Lakoff and Mark Johnson revealed that metaphor is actually an important way for humans to understand the world. It is not merely a decoration of language, but the foundation for us to construct thinking frameworks and understand abstract concepts. This view has given me a brand-new understanding of the complexity and subtlety of language.
The "metaphor system" mentioned in the book impressed me deeply. The metaphors we use do not exist in isolation but are interrelated and mutually supportive, forming a vast cognitive network. For example, we use "upward" to represent "progress" (such as "career thriving"), and use "downward" to represent "decline" (such as "getting worse and worse"). This metaphorical system based on physical experience reflects the commonalities of human cognition. It makes me understand that language and thinking are closely linked, and our physical experiences shape to a large extent the way we perceive the world. This way of cognition not only affects our understanding of abstract concepts, but also influences our behaviors and decisions.
The book also explores the role of metaphor in culture and philosophy. Different cultures have different metaphorical systems, which reflect the unique values and worldviews of each culture. For example, in Western culture, the metaphor of "time is money" emphasizes the value of efficiency and time; In some Eastern cultures, time may be regarded as a more fluid and cyclical existence. This cultural difference makes me realize that language and culture shape each other. We pass on and express culture through language, and culture, in turn, influences our language expression.
Reading this book also made me reflect on the significance of language for personal growth and education. As students, we are often taught to use language accurately, but are seldom guided to think about the logical thinking behind the language. This book made me understand that education is not merely about imparting knowledge; it is also about guiding students to explore the mental world behind language and cultivating their critical thinking and creativity. By understanding metaphors, we can better understand our way of thinking and thus use language more flexibly to express our thoughts.
However, this book also made me realize the complexity of language and cognition. Although metaphor provides us with a framework for understanding the world, it may also limit our way of thinking. We are often bound by the metaphors we are accustomed to and find it difficult to see other possibilities of things. This requires us to maintain an open mind and constantly explore and break through our cognitive boundaries.
The Metaphors We Live By Depend for Survival is a book full of wisdom and inspiration. It not only enabled me to have a deeper understanding of language, but also gave me new thoughts on human thinking and cognition. It makes me understand that language is an important tool for us to know the world, and metaphor is the most magical part of this tool. Through this book, I seem to have opened a door to the world of cognition and seen a richer and more diverse world. In my future studies and life, I will observe language with a more acute eye, explore the thinking mysteries hidden behind language, and strive to become a more rational and creative person.