Chapter 4: Orientational Metaphors

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My Summary of Chapter 4
1. In Chapters 2&3, the authors discuss structural metaphors. In this chapter, they introduce another type of metaphor: orientational metaphors.
structural metaphors: cases where one concept is metaphorically structured in terms of another
orientational metaphors: cases where one concept organizes a whole system of concepts with respect to one another
2. Metaphorical orientations are not arbitrary. They have a basis in our physical and cultural experience. Therefore, they can vary from culture to culture.
3. Through the analysis of 10 common orientational metaphors in terms of physical, social, cultural basis and personal well-being, the authors smoothly draw 9 conclusions related to the experiential grounding, the coherence, and the systematicity of metaphorical concepts.
4. Metaphors and their experiential bases are closely related. Therefore, based on different types of experiential bases, we will have different understandings of a concept. Realizing this fact is very significant for us to understand the workings of metaphors that do not fit together because they are based on different kinds of experience.
My Reflection
After reading 4 chapters, I think that the authors use a simple but insightful writing style to help readers understand how we think and communicate metaphorically in our daily lives. They show us that metaphors are more than just words – they reflect how we structure and make sense of experience itself.
I am impressed by the idea in Chapter 4 that metaphors based on different experiences can sometimes seem a bit different from each other. It's so helpful in explaining why certain metaphors may seem inconsistent or incompatible across cultures, or even within a single discourse. It's so crucial to be culturally sensitive and contextually aware when analysing metaphorical language.