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Re:Reasons the banking crisis isn’t a repeat of 2008 by klodolph on Friday March 24, 2023 @06:07PM (#35296318)
I wonder how many HN conversations would be cut short if we simply accepted that analogies are imperfect yet useful. They provide a very limited amount of insight into any topic—so yes, let’s use them, and let’s stop arguing about whether an analogy is the “right analogy”. A analogy will have some element of truth that transfers from one situation to another, and in a good analogy, it will be easy for readers to discover that element of truth.

You’ll find ways in which the analogy is “wrong”, but that’s just noise.

Re:Reasons the banking crisis isn’t a repeat of 2008 by dalbasal on Friday March 24, 2023 @06:46PM (#35296705)
IDK... I do see you point, but I'd like to think both I and the commenter I responded to were using analogies in an ok way.

Analogies are a pretty good rhetorical device, IMO because we kind of think in abstract analogies anyway. We could have both made our points without analogy, but I don't think much content is lost.

His point is that Bankers are the professionals. This is true. I "complicated" the analogy/comment to highlight the tension between "bankers are knowledgeable professionals" and "bankers are an interested party."

In any case, I feel that analogies are ok. The problem with my comment might have been an overly combative or nitpicky tone, especially given that we probably agree of most of it.

Re:Reasons the banking crisis isn’t a repeat of 2008 by bcrosby95 on Friday March 24, 2023 @08:21PM (#35297549)
Analogies are like children. If its your own they're a brilliant, cute, funny, unique individual. If they're other people's they're loud, annoying, stinky little pests and oh god they're swarming you.
Re:Reasons the banking crisis isn’t a repeat of 2008 by dalbasal on Saturday March 25, 2023 @05:12AM (#35300884)
Actually they're more like teenagers.
Re:Reasons the banking crisis isn’t a repeat of 2008 by dotancohen on Sunday March 26, 2023 @03:43AM (#35312063)
I wonder how many HN conversations would be cut short if we simply accepted that analogies are imperfect yet useful.
Re:Reasons the banking crisis isn’t a repeat of 2008 by dalbasal on Sunday March 26, 2023 @05:30AM (#35312644)
I chuckled, but let's not. I apologize.
Re:Reasons the banking crisis isn’t a repeat of 2008 by coffeebeqn on Friday March 24, 2023 @08:47PM (#35297797)
Analogies are good as long as they’re good. If they’re not good they just leave people more confused / argumentative
Re:Reasons the banking crisis isn’t a repeat of 2008 by fijiaarone on Saturday March 25, 2023 @07:43AM (#35301682)
Most people can’t understand analogies. They are literally literal.