Writing 101 ~ The metaphor framework

For the deep thinkers who can't find readers.

Having deep ideas is nice. Fair, you want to share the depth of your thinking. Hell no, you refuse to just stop at the shallow surface because the majority of the people have not enough attention to follow you into the abstract and subtle realms of the human soul.

But as a very abstract thinker, I finally realised this.

abstraction and depth are not the same thing.

The big problem deep thinkers face is that what they share is not relatable. There is so many people, especially on substack, that have such great ideas, philosophies, experiences that the whole world needs. But, but, but… nobody gets it.

I noticed it in myself, reading somebody’s article or mines.

I open it. I start reading. I think: “mmh, seems interesting.” but I follow the words, I frown my eyebrows, I think about something else and then ups, I have to focus again.

We can call this kind of writing the “philosopher vibe”.

Saying deep things that you have to read 3 times to get.

Now let me share my humble opinion: this is completely stupid.

When looking back on what I was doing, being this “philosophical writer” whatever the subject was, is actually a consequence of a misplaced ego.

You think deep. So you want to sound deep. So you make things blurry, to make sure people don’t see the bottom of the lake. Actually… no, that is not for the people.

That is for yourself.

Because you don’t want to see that you may not be as deep as you think.

It was a hard pill to swallow for me, I can tell you.

Being hard to read is not the mark of a deep thinker but the mark of somebody who don’t want to acknowledge his or her own shallowness.

When you think about world renown philosopher, they use complex words and take two books and 1600 pages to describe a concept.

That is the image of the “deep thinker” we have nowadays.

But what if we go beyond this scale? What if we take legendary people?

nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished ~ Lao Tzu

Be like water ~ Bruce Lee (well not a thinker but stylish-wise he’s on top)

They are the people that your "philosophical writers” are using as reference.

They say the most simple things. In the most simple way.

That is the hallmark of depth to me.

Let’s understand why by looking at the 3 steps of thought:

1. simple

2. complex

3. simplex

Those who identify as “deep thinkers” lock themselves in step 2. They doesn’t allow themselves to go to step 3, because step 3 on the surface looks astonishingly like step 1.

They don’t want to be taken for shallow writers.

But depth is not complexity, not at all.

Depth is condensed complexity to such a degree that it looks like simplicity.

It is like a melody, and a chord.

shallowness is a melody.

complexity is a complex piece with a lot of layers.

depth is a precise and subtle melody.

When you are deep, you see patterns. The universe is made out of very few shapes; if you go far, you see that it all comes down to sacred geometry.

simple shapes that give birth to many variations that we call fractals. For example the tree of life shape gave birth to a tree, but also to DNA.

Deep thinkers have the ability to see the underlying shape that link supposedly different concepts.

But to communicate that to somebody who don’t see the underlying shape, you need to use some tips and tricks. You need to lead them into the web of connections.

Quick question: why do you think those who became “legends” always use metaphors?

Here is my answer.

Because they can’t share the underlying structure to those who can’t see yet, they at least can share the connections to help them find it.

Metaphors are just the tool to reveal the patterns.

If you connect a human, a bee, a fish, a jaguar, you start to see the underlying pattern: for example they don’t all have a tail. But they all have a head. and eyes. Add more and more, and working by elimination you’ll start to see the underlying geometry of Life.

When you understand this geometry, you can use it in any domain that it is related to; the deeper the geometry, the more connected to everything so the more useful.

be like water was used by bruce lee talking about… fighting? Life? Emotions? see, this can be used in vastly different contexts. This, to me, is depth.

The simplicity of metaphors.

Metaphors are the ultimate tool to share depth without loosing your audience into the abstract.

And you may have noticed that I used metaphors and examples as much as possible during this article… because I know that if I talk about patterns, sacred geometry, the fluid substance of the universe or any way I actually perceive things abstractly in my own mind… you’ll be lost. Because this would be my inner world vocabulary that you can’t access. To share it, I need a bridge. And the only thing bridging my inner world to yours, the only way to communicate anything from a soul to another is, you guessed it: the outer world.

That is why we need to talk in metaphors, and examples. Our job is not to explain, but to link stuff.

Now that we went abstract, let me give you a concrete tool.

The metaphor framework

Very simple. Use images and metaphors as much as possible.

Remember, metaphors are the best way to keep the depth without the unnecessary abstraction. This is the best way to do it I found:

combine concrete object + abstract concept

Every time you want to share an idea closer to a feeling than anything else, too vague for words, encapsulate it within a physical and visible object known by everybody.

Instead of saying:

“feelings are so important to understand the relationship between emotional responses and the traumas of childhood…” aaouhehhhhh I’m already lost. I can’t see what you mean there.

I would say:

“The feelings of the heart are at the center of the room, making the link between emotional jumps and the prison of childhood traumas”.

Feelings → feelings of the heart

relationship → the link

emotional responses → emotional jumps

childhood traumas → prison of childhood traumas

It was a bit too much in this example, but you can see how easily this can be applied everywhere, all the time. Just make every abstract concept visible and palpable, and you’re on the right path for simplexity. People will thank you for that, and actually see you as even deeper. I’m talking to your ego that thinks he needs complexity right here ;)

On that, I’m gonna eat some mango.

Peace,

Evan