Metaphorical thinking describes a mental process in which comparisons are made between qualities of objects usually considered to be separate classifications. Metaphorical thinking is a mental process connecting two different universes of meaning and is the result of the mind looking for similarities.
Contents
Understanding metaphorical thinking
An expert metaphorical thinker can sense the hidden connections between these classifications in a way that is creative or even poetic.
Each connection is made by identifying similarities, which is a natural tendency of the human mind.
When director Ridley Scott was pitching the idea for his new movie Alien, he described it with the three-word metaphor “Jaws in space”.
Here, Scott made an apparently unrelated connection between a previous movie about killer sharks and outer space.
In addition to connecting unrelated objects, metaphors similarly connect problems with unrelated or dissimilar problems and situations. Metaphorical thinking can be used to address predominantly logical thinking, which can stifle the creative process.
Lastly, metaphors themselves help the individual approach something from a different perspective or encourage their audience to do the same.
How does metaphorical thinking help creativity?
Metaphorical thinking encourages creative thinking by reframing the situation or problem in three ways. That is, metaphors:
Identify similarities between two disparate problems
By analysing seemingly unrelated problems, new insights may emerge which have the potential to solve the original problem.
Examine the problem in a new context
In this case, a new or different perspective may reveal a viable alternative or unusual approach to solving the original problem.
Force practitioners to search outside their existing body of knowledge and comfort zone
Metaphorical thinking allows the individual to put distance between themselves and their problem.
This important sense of perspective gives them the freedom to question their assumptions, habits, biases, or stereotypes in search of a solution.
Metaphorical thinking in business
While the applications of metaphorical thinking in business are limitless, there are two broad ways they can be used.
1 – Metaphors make the strange familiar
Here, businesses help consumers make sense of the unfamiliar by comparing it to something relatable.
In technology, metaphorical thinking was used to describe new products such as the mouse, desktop, Windows, and Facebook.
During brainstorming sessions designed to solve problems, teams may also benefit from reducing the problem or process into something so familiar a child could comprehend.
2 – Metaphors make the familiar strange
Organizations can use this approach to help employees or consumers gain a new appreciation for something they’ve taken for granted.
For example, a company selling shampoo in a market where consumers tend to stick with one brand may use metaphors to encourage consumers to try something new.
That is, marketing campaigns may be based on metaphors describing resistance to change, such as:
- Getting children to eat their vegetables.
- Trying to give the cat a bath.
- Converting people to a new religion.
Brainstorming can also be used here to force teams into multiplicity, or the process of analyzing a problem from multiple points of view.
When the team is forced to look at an old problem with a fresh perspective, the likelihood of finding a solution increases.
The “new point of view” brainstorming technique is one such example. It advocates the creation of metaphors by imagining how professionals in vastly unrelated fields might solve the problem at hand.
Key takeaways
- Metaphorical thinking is a mental process connecting two different universes of meaning and is the result of the mind looking for similarities.
- Metaphorical thinking unearths the hidden connections between problems, objects, or situations in a way that is creative or even poetic.
- Metaphorical thinking was used to introduce less-understood technological products such as the mouse, desktop, and Windows operating system. The concept can also be used to increase new product visibility and consider a problem from multiple points of view.
Connected Decision-Making Frameworks
Convergent vs. Divergent Thinking









Failure Mode And Effects Analysis










Related Strategy Concepts: Go-To-Market Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Business Models, Tech Business Models, Jobs-To-Be Done, Design Thinking, Lean Startup Canvas, Value Chain, Value Proposition Canvas, Balanced Scorecard, Business Model Canvas, SWOT Analysis, Growth Hacking, Bundling, Unbundling, Bootstrapping, Venture Capital, Porter’s Five Forces, Porter’s Generic Strategies, Porter’s Five Forces, PESTEL Analysis, SWOT, Porter’s Diamond Model, Ansoff, Technology Adoption Curve, TOWS, SOAR, Balanced Scorecard, OKR, Agile Methodology, Value Proposition, VTDF
Main Free Guides: