People say a picture is worth a thousand words - I have found that relatable analogies could be worth a million. How could this be?
Over the last several years, I’ve found communication to be one of the most complex experiences as a human. Words are useless without context.
k, kk, ok., okay?
What comes to mind when you read: “You ok”
What about “You ok?”
The question mark changes a lot, no?
Alright, what happens if we add a couple more words: “Hey mate, you ok?”
Did the voice in your head suddenly change its accent? Did the context of the question change?
Does it change where you think you are? Who are you with? Who’s asking?
For me, this innocent question was my first “idiot abroad” moment. It was the first night I’d finally felt settled into my new apartment in Dublin. Down the road from where I was living at the time, there was a local pub that would have people overflowing each day I was moving my stuff into my flat. The pub was lowly lit, primarily with candelabras on the tables which were accompanied by board games, coasters and peoples’ pints. It seemed like a happening spot in the neighborhood, so I figured - why not check it out.
I walk in, head over to the bar and manage to catch the glance of the bartender. As an expat, I’d overthink everything in the earlier days.
The guy comes over and goes: “Hey mate, you ok?”
My metro NYC roots came out reflexively… I shoot back, “I’m ok, are YOU ok?”
In that split second I’m thinking to myself… what’s this guy’s deal?
After my quip, the bartender politely asks another way, “Mate, do you want something to drink?”
As I shrink up I murmur, “Oh, yeah… I’ll take a pint of…”
Although the bartenders at that pub were usually pretty friendly, I came to realize that bartenders across the town would often be checking in on my mental health asking me, “You okay?” It didn’t take long for me to realize that “You okay?” meant what do you want to drink and not getting called out for having RBF. It did take me a bit longer to realize me saying “I’ll do a pint of…” was a reciprocal expression that didn’t land. No one says “I’ll do…” outside the states when they order something.
Anyway, little vignettes like this would follow me in the ensuing years as I continued to live in Ireland and then have a stretch as a digital nomad across the United States. Yes, even domestically these types of run-ins would happen.
“Mate, are you ok?” could be what do you want to drink at a pub in Ireland.
“You know, you’re ok” could mean I like you, after working past a misunderstanding at a bar after a few drinks with a stranger in South Dakota.
“Are you ok?” could be your friend checking in on you while catching up on a call while driving.
All the above on the surface seems the same until you add context.
The communication cheat code
What I’ve learned from the culmination of these small moments over time is that situational context is a cheat code in communication. You can create your own context in any environment - all you need is a relatable life experience and create an analogy.
It doesn’t have to be that complicated either…
It’s like having wet socks in your shoes → I can confirm, having soggy socks is globally a terrible experience.
It’s like stepping on a Lego → equally as painful anywhere in the world and regardless of how big your feet are.
It’s like the Mecca of… → clearly the place to go for (insert thing here)
What I’ve also found is the more personal and niche the reference, the more powerful and resonant it is. These references wound up being the best tool I had in my back pocket to connect with people and convey what otherwise would be seemingly unrelatable life experiences.
Try explaining partner marketing for an oracle network provider to a stranger at a bar in Oshkosh, Wisconsin without using an analogy. If they get what you’re saying on the first try, please DM me, I’d like to learn from you.
Meta Moments
At this point, if you subscribe to the idea that an analogy is worth a million words, then this newsletter is for you.
The culmination of professional and personal experiences has compelled me to take a stab at helping bridge understanding at a new scale. Niche analogies in one-on-one or group settings are one thing, but now it’s time to put them to the test through Meta Moments: a periodical newsletter that will explore the intersection of history, travel and tech to bring light to things we’ve seen before but may not have had the right context to understand.
One of the greatest takeaways since joining the blockchain industry as a marketer is the opportunity to convey technical developments in a more digestible way. Some of the concepts I’ve noticed are very complex, however, in principle are not new. I’m convinced we’ve seen these developments before in a different form. As Mark Twain once said, “History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.”
With this backdrop, the first Meta Moments series will explore the railway ecosystem for the 21st Century. What does Cornelius Vanderbilt have to do with crypto? Stay tuned for the first drop next week.