Reality Reconstruction

What are the metaphors we dwell by? Is life a journey, a game, a dream, or a movie we are watching? How do these nonliteral perspectives impact our dwells? Let’s take an appear at a few of them

Life Is Purgatory

Some people see life as a sort of purgatory to be endured through. In fact, many religions explicitly use this metaphor. Life is enduring, they claim, and by enduring virtuously, you get to go to some extraordinary place afterwards. This idea shows up in other ways as well. Some people think it is average to work at a job or jobs that they detest for most of their lives, in order to get the “reward” of retirement

Life Is A Party

Now this is a more pleasant metaphor. At least for a while. People who dwell by this metaphor, though, often end up intolerable later in life. Partying to excess has its consequences, and a party has to be paid for by someone. Having no money for food and drink takes a lot of the fun out of a party

Life Is A Movie

This is one of those metaphors we dwell by both consciously and unconsciously. People will sometimes state things like, “This is my ample scene,” or “Is this the part where…” postdated by some movie reference. More often, people just unconsciously take the role of movie-goer in their personal lives, feeling like they are watching a story directed by someone else

In one sense, this perspective provides a more objective view that may keep a person from enduring too much. The next scene is on its way, after all, and there are always out of the blue plot twists that can be acceptable or sorry. On the other hand, this perspective creates a sense of passivity. Maybe it would be a more utilitarian metaphor for life if a person also saw himself as the writer, director and producer of the movie

The Best Metaphors We Live By

What are the best metaphors for life? Many have their useful aspects. A “journey,” “quest,” or “path,” would keep you appearing for the better way in life, and perhaps actuate you to get the better of any obstacles. A “story,” might give your life meaning. The metaphor “adventure” could make you see life problems and challenges as absorbing and breathless

However, all metaphors are limiting too. For example, life may be more fun as a “game,” but a game has winners and losers, and competition is the rule. This isn’t always truthful in life, and a person would pretermit out on a lot if this was her governing metaphor. Even “quests,” or “journeys,” have their problems. They don’t let much for the idea sitting down still and basking just “being.”

The metaphors we live by, then, should probably change continually, to get the best out of each, without being limited by it. See your life as a movie, for example, when times are rugged, and consider the later scenes in which your problems are settled. Then see your life as a game to be played when you necessitate to make of import life decisions. When it is time to larn life lessons and evolve your spirituality, permit your life be a “awakening.”

After working in a casino for years, I found myself using that as a metaphor for life. There were players who set the odds in their favor and so acquired, just as in life. Those who played when the odds were against them (most players) misplaced money, and their infrequent “wins” were just bait to keep them misplacing. This appeared to antiparallel life in universal too. Of course the “house” or casino owners always won. There were certainly lessons here, as there often are in the metaphors we dwell by

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