Yea, I love analogies. They are a great way to get your point across. I started using them heavily when I managed a small team of developers and had to settle a number of disputes between particularly stubborn developers.
Ever since then I’ve employed them quite often, when I can really. In terms of conversations, especially with complex ideas they are a must, here are a few reasons why:
- Analogies simplify the problem
In stead of worry about every little detail we can get down to the real nitty gritty of the problem. We are allowing for a distilling of the issue. - Analogies provide an alternative viewpoint
An analogy allows you to present a different story, often from a different point of view, this can allow people to see another side more easily. - Analogies remove emotional investment
Along the same lines as #2, when we are talking about something else entirely we remove the emotional investment some one may have in the original discussion point. - Analogies are a point of reference
Often times the biggest reason to use an analogy is to show that this problem has already been argued or solved in a slightly different case. - Analogies often times provide new insights
I’m often surprised by conclusions I draw from an analogy I created when I push the boundaries of the comparison. - They’re fun!
I love a good analogy. They’re just fun to talk about, and you’ll be surprised how far you can push one if you try.
Analogies aren’t just powerhouses in conversations, they have a lot of value when trying to explain concepts in software as well. So whether I want to get some one on board to a new pricing paradigm, or I want to show a user how to use a new widget, I’m always trucking these bad boys out.
How do you use analogies?