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Though we don’t often think of it, there are a number of other important “realities” in our daily lives that are much more metaphorical in nature than they at first might appear. For example, “civilization” “culture” and yes, even “science” are all representational constructs that we, in effect, “lay over” the vastness of creation to render it more manageable and comprehensible to our necessarily finite scope(s) of consciousness.

Our political culture also operates through the use of such metaphors. And as in the above-mentioned cases, we generally work within these systems of interpretation with little or no consciousness of their presence, or their relation to foundational ideas. In times of relative stability this “pragmatic” approach can yield much good for many people.

But in times of great change, when new life options are forcefully presenting themselves as alternatives to the long-dominant (and thus largely invisible) paradigms of our social organization, this refusal to get “unstuck from the metaphor” and ponder the much broader and messier expanse of our social life can greatly undermine our ability to face urgent challenges.