chapter 5

小石卒

chapter 5 Metaphor and Cultural Coherence
Summary of the Content:
This chapter explores how metaphors align with cultural values to create coherence. For example, Western cultures link “MORE IS UP” and “GOOD IS UP” to values like progress and growth. Subcultures prioritize metaphors differently (e.g., valuing resource-saving over “BIGGER IS BETTER”). Cultures may also favor alternative spatial metaphors (e.g., balance over up-down). Metaphors thus reflect and reinforce a culture’s worldview.
Reflection:
This highlights how deeply metaphors shape our thinking. It makes me wonder: Are we aware of the metaphors guiding our daily choices? Could challenging dominant metaphors lead to cultural shifts? A powerful reminder that language isn’t neutral—it carries cultural DNA. And this also made me realize that if I had not perceived this relationship between metaphor and culture, would it possibly cause some problems in cross-cultural communication? So I further recognized the importance of metaphor in our daily communication.