ABSTRACT
People routinely encounter metaphors for political and health-relevant ideas. These metaphors can guide cognition, with practical consequences for political attitudes and health outcomes.
The next time you’re out and about, take a close look at the messages you encounter. You’ll likely observe what virtually everyone who has ever cared to investigate the nature of persuasion has observed for two millennia: that metaphors are everywhere. They appear in political speeches, product marketing, scientific writing, news reports, social campaigns, visual art, and educational materials. Here are a few I noticed around town just this morning: appeals to move forward, let go, and climb aboard; stories about individuals breaking through, exploding, and plummeting from grace; groups strengthening their base or failing to ride the economy’s “up” escalator; policies striking back, shutting the door; debates heating up and legislation hitting a wall. Any time we turn on the television, listen to a streaming music station, watch a movie, surf the Net, or browse a magazine, we risk setting off a cascading avalanche of metaphors.
