"Conscious thought is the tip of the iceberg."
— Lakoff, George P. (b. 1941)
Author
Work Title
Date
July 22, 2016
Metaphor
"Conscious thought is the tip of the iceberg."
Metaphor in Context
Any unscrupulous, effective salesman knows how to use you brain against you, to get you to buy what he is selling. How can someone “use your brain against you?” What does it mean?
All thought uses neural circuitry. Every idea is constituted by neural circuitry. But we have no conscious access to that circuitry. As a result, most of thought -- an estimated 98 percent of thought is unconscious. Conscious thought is the tip of the iceberg.
Unconscious thought works by certain basic mechanisms. Trump uses them instinctively to turn people’s brains toward what he wants: Absolute authority, money, power, celebrity.
All thought uses neural circuitry. Every idea is constituted by neural circuitry. But we have no conscious access to that circuitry. As a result, most of thought -- an estimated 98 percent of thought is unconscious. Conscious thought is the tip of the iceberg.
Unconscious thought works by certain basic mechanisms. Trump uses them instinctively to turn people’s brains toward what he wants: Absolute authority, money, power, celebrity.
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
George Lakoff, "Understanding Trump," posted to georgelakoff.com (July 22, 2016).
Date of Entry
07/25/2016
