Analogy of the week

I’m a sucker for a good analogy. When I explain complicated concepts to people, I often make use of analogies, as they frequently turn a difficult or foreign concept into something that anyone can grasp. By using something that people are already familiar with on a cultural level, odd and unusual concepts can be more easily communicated.

I also appreciate when other people use analogies – the more apt, the better. For example, in the second-last paragraph of an article in today’s The Age about Melbn’s poorly-run metropolitan train network, union boss Terry Sheedy compares the train system to an institution that many Australians are familiar with, on a cultural level. He gets awarded the jurgen dot ca “” award. Congratulations. Meet me at the Railway for a pint.