Metaphor changes how we perceive and therefore, how we think

Years ago, I was listening to a radio program where a climate scientist was being interviewed, and the show was taking questions from the audience. The first caller said adamantly, “No way. It doesn’t matter how much data you have. Climate change is not real.” It was immediately clear that no amount of data was going to change her mind.

This interaction stuck with me because it revealed a fundamental truth: information alone can’t change how we think, perceive, or believe. Facts, no matter how compelling, often fail to bridge divides or shift deeply held beliefs.

But there’s something that can: metaphor.

Metaphor operates below the surface of words. It works at the level of feeling—at the roots of how we see and understand the world. When we feel differently, our perception shifts. And when our perception shifts, so do our thoughts and beliefs.

Consider this: if you view the Earth as a living, breathing organism—a mother who nurtures us all—your relationship with the planet will be vastly different than if you see it as an inert collection of resources to be exploited. That shift doesn’t come from data or logical arguments; it comes from a deeper, more visceral place of understanding.

Our current bitterly divisive political climate sorely needs new metaphors. The metaphors we live by shape our individual and collective actions. They define how we see ourselves, each other, and the challenges we face as a society.

Metaphor has the power to break through entrenched beliefs because it speaks directly to the heart. It can build bridges where facts and arguments fail. Imagine the possibilities if we could shift from metaphors of war and opposition to those of healing, collaboration, and shared purpose.

The change we need won’t come from more information. It will come from a new way of seeing—and that begins with the metaphors we choose to embrace.