George LakoffThinkers

Metaphor (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠executed as a cross-domain mapping from a metaphorical source domain (such as 'war') to a target domain to which it the metaphor is to be applied, such as ('argumentation').

Metaphor (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not only for poets and, consequently, it is not peripheral to the language of the mind... it is the principal way of conceptualizing abstract terms like death, life, time and, therefore, it is central to our understanding of our selves, our culture, and the world.

Metaphor (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not only poetic device: It is an important means enabling us to structure and organize our cognition and knowledge.

Metaphor (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not solely a matter of language but concerns 'the way we conceptualize one mental domain in terms of another.

Metaphor (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but also in thought and action.

Metaphor (n.) functions ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠as a basic conceptual device because it is grounded in experience.

Metaphor (n.) resides ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠for the most part in a huge, highly structured, fixed system, a system anything but 'dead'.

Metaphor (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠our only access to some thoughts. Much subject matter, from the most mundane to the most abstruse scientific theories, can only be comprehended via metaphor.

Metaphor (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the fundamental sttructure of our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act.