10 Metaphors That Changed The World
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The language of metaphors is the language of leaders. Throughout history the greatest leaders have set themselves apart not only by dreaming a grand dream, but also by communicating it and moving people toward its realization.
To do this, metaphors are the vehicle that most of them have used to achieve that. Here are 10 of the metaphors (in no particular order) that helped to changed our world, or at the very least, comprehend it:
1. “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
Jesus of Nazareth
2. “I am here as a soldier who has temporarily left the field of battle.”
Emmeline Pankhurst
3. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
4. “The flame of French resistance must not and shall not die.”
Charles de Gaulle:
5. “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.”
Jawaharlal Nehru:
6. “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
John F. Kennedy
7. “I’ve been to the mountaintop. …And I’ve seen the promised land.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
8. “You can’t hate the roots of tree, and not hate the tree.”
Malcolm X
9. “The wall cannot withstand freedom.”
Ronald Reagan
10. “Indifference is always the friend of the enemy.”
Elie Wiesel
September 10th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
I don’t know if I would categorize each of these quotes as metaphors, but this is a good list of quotes that impacted the world. A good quote can have a tremendous power because of the simple result of retention. People only retain a portion of what they hear and read. If that portion has a “ring” to it, whether using a metaphor, analogy, play on words, or element of poetry, then it improves the retention of the thought from the quote and improves the effectiveness of the communication of that thought.
Regards,
Jonathan Frye
Leadership Jot
September 10th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
What is important, in my opinion, is the use of elements that may be more immediately recognizable to the listener than the actual message that is supposed to get across. Whatever makes that message “simpler” will contribute to better understanding. I admit there may be perhaps 2 or 3 of these quotes that aren’t strictly “metaphors” but that “recognition” factor, as you say, is still present. Thanks for your comment!