The use of metaphors fascinates me in every single way. Metaphors have become next to everyday language it can be interesting to see how its use influences our everyday life in terms of thinking and normal activities. Metaphors also reinforce ideas and understanding this can be very fascinating. They, in a mystical way, give people more courage to do things that they were once skeptical about or even not confident about. The secret behind this quality is sometimes linked to the fact that the metaphor has been in use for a very long time and that somewhere in the past; someone used the same words to refer to something.
Different metaphors came from different times and ages through time. Some may be old while others are quite young. Cultural changes and economic progress is what brings forth new metaphors. Metaphors assist us in interpreting our environment, trigger emotions, find familiarity, and find meaning in otherwise meaningless content. In this case, life is like a gambling game, traces its origin back from the era of cowboys and red Indians. This however is debatable by some critics.
This metaphor is very popular to people of all livelihoods. It is rather popular since it helps people take risks in situations where their success lies on a 50-50 basis. Other people also know this metaphor as life is like gambling and it is not in every game where you win but as long as you have a chip, it is not yet over. This metaphor is not exclusively used in casinos and in gambling activities but in other areas of life as business, relationships, and other exploration activities. Drawing energy from this metaphor can presents benefits or loses. Since it mostly referred in areas where people rely on pure chance, anything is bound to happen. This has led to many individuals squandering fortunes in casinos while others gain fortunes in all areas of opportunity.
Life, like in the casino, you cannot keep everything. As soon as you make a decision to pursue something, you can either lose or win. Life is quite similar and in my experience, you have to weigh every decision you make by making the right choices and weighing all the probabilities possible. You have to give it your all and present the best game in both situations or else you may lose it all even if you were so close. This presents another challenge of knowing when to stop. Sometimes, individuals may be so excited and confident since they have won so often but this should not be the right attitude. Gamblers and other risk takers should be careful not to lose everything that they have worked so hard for in the past. Anything is bound to happen and we must learn to accept the results whether good or bad. However, despite the outcome, there’s always a greater urge to go on playing.
Other metaphors that can be associated with the latter is play your cards right. This means that you should use what you have and do not make it so easy for your opponent to beat you. This one gives the illusion that there is a higher chance to win compared to other situations. This happens if you have a weaker opponent or even your chances of getting something are slightly elevated for some reason. This however has another reference. It could also be used to motivate individuals meaning that if they behaved well, they stood a chance to reap a benefit. This involves making the right decisions, and acting appropriately and this does not rely on chance or fate. This metaphor bears more benefits in influencing our school of thought since there less chances taken and loses incurred. When used on kids, it helps them make better decisions in life and prepare them for all possible causes of action.
I have an ace up my sleeve is another example of gambling derived metaphor. The ace is the highest card in any game and this gives the aces particular advantage. Therefore, when used in any instance it means that the individual has a particular advantage. Such a metaphor influence the way of thinking by showing the success and the trickery of other individuals thereby motivating intelligence and putting a lot of thought in all situations so that you may always hold the upper hand.
Finally, hitting the jackpot perhaps evokes envy and a mixture of admiration in different situations. Jackpot refers to winning big in a casino or any other lottery. This could however mean a huge accomplishment. Jackpots are very popular all over the world especially in this times where there are so many lotteries taking place. This metaphor influences our thinking in terms of achievement and more often than not luck. With this kind of thinking, we could compare the benefits and a risk to the metaphor life is like a gambling game.
Notably, most of the decisions we make in life are ruled by chance and fate and most often, we may require some encouragement to take the important steps. However, metaphors do not always influence our way of thinking in the right direction. They lead us in somewhat similar directions most of the time and while in some situations, it may be of benefit, it may result to severe disappointments. Some individuals may take the result bravely while others may be gravely overwhelmed and may hurt themselves or others close to them. Such have been the cases of many individuals who have taken the risk and ended up making their lives worse than they were before. Taking such risks requires balancing, patience, and perseverance and if you do not process such qualities, then you should use metaphors very cautiously.
