Metaphors We Live By

Abstract

1. Make a list of some of the metaphors discussed by Lakoff and Johnson. Try inserting new words that convey a different meaning. For example, consider the expression, “I’d like to share some time with you ” rather than “spend some time with you.” 2. Make a list of “language asymmetries ” (see Part II, p. XX, and Reading 12 for definitions) and consider what underlying cultural values these asymmetries indicate. 3. Consider the use of the masculine he or man to refer to all people. Some people say that this “generic use ” is perfectly acceptable because the terms “imply ” women as well as men. Others argue that the term not only leaves out half the population but also perpetuates an image of women as “auxiliary”and men as “central.”Discuss this. 4. Discuss the cultural practice of women taking men’s names when they marry. What cultural values does this practice convey? 5. Keep track of all the “medicalized ” terms you hear for a few days (for example, erectile dysfunction, hyperkinesis). Try substituting more common terms and see if you think about the “problem ” differently. For example, clinically depressed versus tired and really burnt out. Do these problems seem more real or authentic with the use of some terms rather than others?

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