How to build an analogy between any 2 subjects, using OneWay

The OneWay Philosophy (rewritten after applying the OneWay philosophy, as outlined in the previous edition:

Each experience is as a single process. We can break this process into smaller processes, which can be broken into smaller processes, etc.,?

The fundamental steps of every process are the same:?

1. Current State

2. Action

3. Future State.

When someone on stage declares, "It's all the same," I first wonder, "Are they about to employ simile, metaphor, or analogy?" The thought that used to follow, perhaps because my mother was an English teacher, was, "What do simile, metaphor, or analogy actually mean?"

Simile is probably the simplest to remember. Think "similar." Any simile is going to be a statement that compares something to something else. The statement will always have a word like "like" or "as," showing they are similar, but not the same.?

Example: A business is like a tree.

Metaphor takes it a step further, suggesting that two things are the same.?

Example: "The tree you call your business…"

Analogy uses both metaphor and simile to provide more understanding of how two things are alike and to create a deeper understanding of each. An analogy can be a single sentence or paragraphs. A handy memory aid is to associate "-logy," in analogy as a suffix to mean 'the study of,' such as in biology or sociology. In truth, analogy has no suffix. Example: "Your business is the tree you plant in the community, always seeking a dense foliage of profit."

The best way to explain OneWay is through analogies. Don't get tangled up in whether my statements are similes or metaphors. Understand that every such statement in The Timebound Tapestry serve an analogy.

I first heard, "A business is like a tree," when I was quite young. Since then, I’ve heard or read some interesting analogies based on that simile.

The steps for using OneWay to build an analogy between any two physical entities:

What two things do I want to compare?: A business and a tree.

Possible tree Current state: a seed

Desired tree future state: A tree

Tree Action: To Be Determined.

Potential business current state: first round of funding complete

Desired business future state: Thriving business

Business Action: To Be Determined

The most important step: What is the point I want to make, and who is the audience?

I intentionally placed step 0 (the first step) last because that is the reverse order many people use when building their analogies. They decide what image they want to paint before considering the message they want to convey.

The audience for this analogy: The general public. The message for this metaphor: business takes dedication and hard work. Without it, the business can flourish; without it, the business will die.

Because I failed to consider my audience first, step 5 above (current state of business) is completely inappropriate. Virtually nobody in a general audience can relate to the first round of funding for a business. Heck, even I can’t relate to it.

An analogy can start from any current state for either subject in the analogy. However, use current states and future states that are highly relatable to the intended audience. Also, to make your life easier, choose states that more naturally mirror each other in society. For this example, encouraging a thought is commonly referred to as planting a seed, so I’ll change the business current state to be a thought.

Next, what action will take me from the current state(s) to the future state(s)? Obviously, there are many actions needed. A good next step is to play with it; brain dump, but don’t go overboard, or you’ll never finish. Start building your metaphor and see where it leads you. Consider inputs, outputs, and action steps.

Starting with the tree:

What are the initial inputs (to the seed): water and sunlight, nutrient-rich soil, patience.

What are the first actions, based on the inputs: Choose a location. Plant the seed, with the intent to reach your goal of the desired future state.

Output (intermediate future state): growth, perhaps a young tree.

What are the next inputs? More water and sun. Add fertilizer. Seasons.

Actions: Nurture the seed. Hold on to the vision of the desired (end) future state. Protect the young tree from the elements.

Output: a fully grown tree, with lots of leaves.

If my audience were botanists, I might include insects, irrigation, photosynthesis, soil pH balance, etc. The more you know about the object in the analogy, the more detailed you can get, but you don’t want to lose your audience.

Also, most analogies are created for presentations and books, with the intent of creating a detailed image in the readers/viewers mind. So, visual outputs are given the highest priority, such as roots, trunk, branches, and leaves. It's a good practice, but a distraction from the point I’m trying to make here.

Stark naked honesty: If I had thought of it, I probably would have made it a lot more visual. I’m glad it didn’t occur to me until after, and I have no time to rewrite.

Onto business…

Initial inputs (to the thought): A plan to get clarity on the vision, on the customers’ needs, and on the product.

First actions: Define the business goal. Talk to potential customers about their needs. Make modifications to the product plan according to actual needs.

Output: Clear definition of the product and the market for it; a clear vision for the future of the business.

Next inputs: financing, hard work, marketing, production

Next actions: get financing. Identify tasks and schedule the work. Determine and implement a marketing strategy. Produce whatever is needed (supporting documentation, physical product, etc.) to provide the product/service to the customer.

Output: Sales and a thriving business.

I know: the desired output is a bit of a leap based on the inputs and actions. There are so many more details. Guess what: The same is true for the tree. We just don’t think about it with the tree because nature is doing most of the work.

Again, this is for a general audience, so KPIs, EBT, ROI, COGS, and thousands of other inputs and actions are ignored. The picture is still complete; it's just not very detailed, like looking through a camera lens that is out-of-focus: All the details still exist; you just can’t see them in your vision.

An important point in the above: The vision "a business is like a tree" was pre-planned. I did all the rest as I wrote. While writing about the tree, I didn’t consider the business at all. When writing about the business, I only thought of the tree in three places: The initial current state, the final output/end state, and the number of intermediate states (outputs) that I had used for the tree.

People get cute, picking what to include, so that the analogy is 'perfect.' For example, if I want a vision of a tree with leaves and cherries, I would add two different revenue streams. One I would represent with leaves, the other with cherries. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it's often just mental masturbation.

Yes, I know many say studying philosophy is mental masturbation. To an extent, I actually agree. That's why I’m doing my best to provide actionable steps with each issue of Timebound Tapestry.

OneWay is a blueprint for making the small differences in your life that can add up to a life-changing outlook on the entire world. If you take no action or get no enjoyment from a thought, any thought, where is the value? Back to the analogy…

Now that we have all the parts, it's just a matter of aligning them, one by one. For example: A business is like a tree. You start by planting a seed, a dream you want to make real. To make it real, you feed it. Just as you need to feed a physical seed with sun and rain and fertile ground, you need to nurture that dream with clarity, planning, and plenty of action.

As your sapling plans come together, you fertilize them with marketing, money, and long hours. Before long, you’ll have a thriving business with a lush canopy of greenbacks.

If you are a writer or speaker, you probably got some value already. For the rest of us, the value comes from using the above process to either see things a new way or help others see the value in your suggestions.

Maybe you want your kids to eat their Brussels sprouts. Do parents still inflict such cruelty on defenseless children? ?? ?? Anyway, the point is, find something the other party pursues, a hobby, a passion, a relationship, or maybe just a moral conviction. Determine the long-term and one intermediate outcome they seek from that pursuit. Then determine the exact long-term outcome you want and one intermediate outcome.

Go through the practice above and map out the journey FOR THEM, from their current state to a future state that they would like. It might take some practice to get your message right. I ask you to trust me when I say clarity comes from writing it down or typing it out, not from just thinking about it. It’s hard to edit and reword complex thoughts.

This final tip is persuasion if used ethically and cruel (and dangerous) manipulation if abused. It's also probably the most powerful tip when working with people who care deeply about you. Please, stop reading now if you plan to manipulate (as if that request ever works)…

Include some negative in YOUR current state OR positives for YOUR future state. If you feel the need to include both, just know that you are likely planning to manipulate, even if you think you have the moral high ground. Moreover, the other party, unless it's a young child, is likely to feel manipulated. But, if done right, for the right reasons, using this tactic can have a positive, bonding effect. If you try it and it blows up in your face ??, don’t blame me; you just did it wrong. Besides, you likely deserved it. ??