one ‘skill’ i have had for some time is to hyperextend metaphors. often when i am having a debate (ok, an argument) with someone over something, they will use metaphors to try to prove thier point. i never really realized until recently that i very often take thier metaphor and twist it around to suit my needs, much to the annoyance of the debater (arguer).\

recent example: jason (not jason, but jason) and i were having a discussion over whether or not you can change the way you feel. i think we were using different definitions of the word feel, but thats not important right now, what is important is jason decided to use a dentistry metaphor. he compared having some deep psychological issue to having a toothache, both are a deep down nagging that really ought to be taken care of. so theoretically, if you have a toothache (there is something bothering you) you take some painkiller, or go to the dentist and have it fixed (you resolve your issue). now this proved an earlier point that i was trying to make, that his efforts to change the way he ‘feels’ about something is nothing more than repression. so you take some ibuprofen and just hope the toothache will go away on its own. then you go to the dentist and he takes out the tooth. this is where the hyperextension comes in, i took it the next logical step and countered: (please excuse me while i load up my icq log really fast)\

21:07:51 marius: the analogy krishnamurti uses is that when you have a tooth ache, you go out and do something about it, immediately.. \you understand the mechanism at work, and you change things you take a pain killer, go to a doctor, or fix things yourself \

21:08:16 marius: your feelings work the same way, but even more so because they’re not dependent on a physical reality, just a mental process \

21:08:26 jer: right. doesnt change the fact that your toth is fucked up \

21:08:38 marius: in the case of a tooth, what’s generating the ache is outside your direct control \

21:08:51 marius: but in the case of your mental universe, it all is undercontrol \

21:09:07 jer: right, that is EXACTLY what i’m saying, youre repressing it \

21:09:16 marius: no, that is not the case \

21:09:19 marius: you’re missing it \

21:09:23 jer: apparantly \

21:09:25 marius: with the tooth, you do something to fix it \

21:09:32 marius: you heal it, in whatever way you can \

21:09:52 jer: ok, you go to the dentist and he pulls it.\ your tooth doesnt bother you anymore, but the tooth isnt there anymore either \

21:10:07 marius: the most important thing is you don’t sit around questioning “does my tooth ache”\ “what does this tooth ache represnt”\ “one time my tooth didn’t ache”, you immediately move to action \

21:10:08 jer: there is now an empty bleeding hole wher epart of you once was
21:10:19 marius: you’re pushing the analogy to far

now looking back on that, i realize i was really reaching, but i do kind of like the way that just blurted out of me. this is the only example i ahve on hand, but i assure you it happens a lot. i guess i’m a natural born metaphor extender.