The Parameters of Liquidity

June 3rd, 2006 Fred McVittie Posted in Liquid, Metaphor |

The various uses to which a metaphor of is put are modulated not only by the entailments that accompany any such metaphor, but also by the natural variability in the parameters of the source of that metaphor. The range of variation in these parameters give a natural structure to the overall use of the metaphor across its many possible applications. In the case of the liquidity metaphor, in which a number of concepts are given the attribute of a liquid; mind, time, energy etc. the specific character of the concept can be fine tuned by modulating one or more of these parameters. The specific parameters available within the liquidity metaphor are:

  • Viscosity (or degree of crytallisation)
  • Depth
  • Expanse
  • Containment/canalisation
  • Motion (existence of, and type of)
  • Relationship to other elements (absorption, dissolution, flotation, etc)
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