Analogies

The topic of interest is analogies.  I like to use analogies because I think that they make a hard to understand situation easier to understand.  I prefer when people use them either verbally or in writing such as manuals.  In my former career at a bank I would use them occasionally as banking is complicated and I would have some success when a direct explanation was not being understood.  Occasionally, however, some customers would say ‘well, that has nothing to do with this…’ or ‘that’s like comparing apples and oranges.’ Well sure it is!  Why on earth would I compare apples and apples?  ‘You see when an apple falls out of a tree, the apple’s seeds create another tree. Now, when another apple falls out of the tree, well, its seeds create a tree too. The end!’  What a waste of breath.  Once the other person makes the apples and oranges statement, you’re stuck agreeing.  I mean, apples really aren’t oranges.  So I have to question; perhaps it is I that doesn’t understand the meaning of analogy.

In order to clear this up I have decided to look the word analogy up online.  I’m sure I’ll find something that will soothe my mind as the above scenario happened frustratingly often.  Top of a Google search produced a link to about.com.  http://grammar.about.com/od/rhetoricstyle/f/qanalogy07.htm is the URL.  The first paragraph explains Freud’s take on analogies.  And I agree.  I generally use analogies to clarify a situation, not to win an argument.  Unfortunately, the recipient may perceive the analogy as a prequel to an attempt to win the argument, making not accepting the analogy seem worthwhile for them.  And I have found that is generally the case in any argument, even without analogies, as I have found If I tell a customer I will give them what they want first, a miraculously higher percentage agree with my explanations.  And I don’t just mean polite nodding with as an attempt to quickly get what they want and get off the phone.  This higher percentage is able to confirm their understanding by relating back.

The short webpage is an interesting read, in so much as even great minds finding the flaws of analogies.  No doubt they have formulated these opinions based on experience.

So what do you guys think?  Do you use analogies to help clarification, win arguments, or both?  Do you shun them as to not give ground on a bad position you’ve taken during an argument?  Let me know below.