The now classic metaphors we live by changed our understanding of metaphor and its role in language and the mind metaphor the authors explain is a fundamental mechanism of mind one that allows us to use what we know about our physical and social experience to provide understanding of countless other subjects because such metaphors structure our most basic understandings of our . The now classic metaphors we live by changed our understanding of metaphor and its role in language and the mind metaphor the authors explain is a fundamental mechanism of mind one that allows us to use what we know about our physical and social experience to provide understanding of countless other subjects because such metaphors structure our most basic understandings of our experience . Metaphors we live by is a book by george lakoff and mark johnson published in 1980 the book suggests metaphor is a tool that enables people to use what they know about their direct physical and social experiences to understand more abstract things like work time mental activity and feelings. Metaphor is one that we live by in this culture it structures the actions we perform in arguing try to imagine a culture where arguments are not viewed in terms of war where no one wins or loses where there is no sense of attacking or defending gaining or losing ground imagine a culture where an argument is viewed as a dance the participants are seen as performers and the goal is to