Metaphorically Blogging
Jim Harris in Data Quality, Social Media, Videos tagged Blogging, Communication Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 3:00AM 
Photo via Flickr (Creative Commons License) by: macwagen
I have always wanted to see my name in lights. However, this photo (of the Harris Theater on Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is probably the closest that I will ever come to such a luminous achievement.
In this blog post, I will simply shine the bright stage lights upon the reasoning behind my somewhat theatrical blogging style.
Metaphorically Blogging
Regular readers know (and perhaps all too well) that I have a proclivity for using metaphors in my blogging.
Most often, I employ conceptual metaphors in an attempt to explain data quality (and its related disciplines) by providing context about a key concept I am trying to convey by casting it within a situation that (hopefully) my readers can more easily relate to, and (hopefully) later be able to use the conceptual metaphor to draw meaningful parallels to their own experiences.
Sometimes I weave metaphors into the very tapestry of the fine written-woven fabric that is my blogging style (such as with that admittedly terrible example). Other times, the metaphor provides the conceptual framework for a blog post. Some of my many examples of this technique include equating data quality with going to the dentist, having a bad cold, or fantasy league baseball.
However, by far my most challenging metaphors—not only for me to write, but also for my readers to understand—is when I blog either a story or a song (well, technically lyrics since—and believe me, you should be very thankful for this—I don’t sing).
Both my story posts and my song posts (please see below for links) are actually allegories since they are extended metaphors where I usually don’t include any supporting commentary, thereby hoping that they illustrate their point without explanation.
Even before the evolution of written language, storytelling played an integral role in every human culture. Listening to stories and retelling them to others continues to be the predominant means of expressing our emotions and ideas—even if nowadays we get most of our stories from television, movies, or the Internet, and less from reading books or having in-person conversations.
And, of course, both before and after the evolution of written language, music played a vital role in the human experience, and without doubt will continue to provide us with additional stories through instrumental, lyrical, and theatrical performances.
I also believe that one of the best aspects of the present social media revolution is that it’s reinvigorating the story culture of our evolutionary past, providing us with more immediate and expanded access to our collective knowledge, experience, and wisdom.
Metaphorically Speaking
Last summer, metaphor maven James Geary recorded the following fantastic TED Talk video, during which he explains how we all use metaphors to compare what we know, to what we don’t know, and he quotes the sage wisdom of Albert Einstein:
“Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought.”
If you are having trouble viewing this video, then you can watch it on TED by clicking on this link: Metaphorically Speaking
Conclusion
Whether you blog or not, you use metaphors, stories, and sometimes songs, to help you make sense of the world around you.
The very act of thinking is a form of storytelling. Your brain tries to compare what you already know, or more precisely, what you think you already know, with the new information you are constantly receiving. Especially nowadays when the very air you breath is literally teeming with digital data streams, you are being continually inundated with new information.
Your brain’s combinatory play experiments with bridging your neural pathways with different metaphors, until eventually it finds the right metaphor and your cognitive dissonance falls away in a flash of insight that brings a new depth of understanding and helps you discover a new way to rule the world—metaphorically speaking of course.
Related (Story) Posts
Video: Oh, the Data You’ll Show!
Data Quality and #FollowFriday the 13th
Pirates of the Computer: The Curse of the Poor Data Quality
The Game of Darts – An Allegory
‘Twas Two Weeks Before Christmas
Related (Song) Posts
I’m Gonna Data Profile (500 Records)
You Can’t Always Get the Data You Want
Imagining the Future of Data Quality
The Very Model of a Modern DQ General
Related (Blogging) Posts
Brevity is the Soul of Social Media
Quality is more important than Quantity
The Challenging Gift of Social Media
The Wisdom of the Social Media Crowd
Reader Comments (3)
Great post, Jim. It's sites like yours that I enjoy the most.
I learn something about social media, data quality, or some other "serious" topic. At the same time, though, you combine personal viewpoints and cultural references that make potentially mundane topics a bit spicier.
Jim,
Nice post. Thought provoking.
Thanks for the link to this Ted talk. I appreciated this framing of the concept of a metaphor. Although I'm a little surprised. We all love Einstein and his thought experiments, but I would have thought that you would have put an Elvis quote into your post. He is the clearly King of metaphors. What is the real meaning of "Blue Suede Shoes?"
Your thoughts on the role of storytelling caused me to think about Lincoln. Despite his complexity, depression, and perceived introvert tendencies, he would communicate and persuade through his storytelling. It was an integral part of his approach. Lincoln was known for his humor. You also have to think that there is a significant link between humor and the use of metaphor.
The lesson that I take away from this post is that metaphors, intersections, and stories are keys to understanding, growing, and meshing. Thanks for getting me going on this Sunday morning.
Don
@Phil — Thanks for the comment and the site compliment. In spite of Aristotle's view on the subject — (paraphrasing) "learning must not be made a means of amusement because learning is painful for it forces us to confront our ignorance" — I have always believed that there is an important connection between education and entertainment.
@Don — Yes, I must admit that I was tempted to use an Elvis quote instead of the Einstein quote, but I didn't want to steal the thunder of Geary's TED Talk. For the same reason, I refrained from using the alternate translation of the Descartes quote in my conclusion. I definitely agree with you that there is a significant link between humor and the use of metaphor.