What if everyday communication involved the use of graphical representation, formal logic, or mathematics?
Most of us seem to prefer the use of folk theory and folk logic in order to discuss and contemplate issues related to human relations, but would this communication not be more efficient if existing metaphors and variables could be extended to a graph with x and y values and rates of change(for example)? Of course, relationships mostly involve more than two variables at a time, but if the two variables were representative of the issue at hand they could presumably accurately describe trajectories and relations between various functions in the graph. One could even predict future complications/events/miscommunications using pre-existing data. This might be limited to the few situations and variable interactions that use a metaphor which can be expressed in these terms, but on further exploration one might find that this method is actually applicable in many cases, especially ones involving time as a variable.
If the problem at hand is an important enough part of our lives, why do we still shy away from using the tools that are summoned in more formal and academic settings? Perhaps we refuse to see the significance of human relationships in our lives, or perhaps our culture prevents us from treating this aspect of our lives as priority by taking it seriously. Maybe we feel that this kind of application is a large leap and too much of a hassle to actually implement. It is possible that this kind of thinking should stay in the realm of nerdy, humorous, and impractical. Either way it brings up some interesting questions as to what sorts of conditions would lead us to use and extend our metaphors in various ways.
