Deep definition
Comic analogy pairs the subject with a source from an unrelated domain. The bigger the distance and the tighter the fit, the bigger the laugh. Bad analogies are close; great analogies are far and exact.
Why humans laugh
Remote association: the reward comes from the brain closing an unlikely conceptual gap fast.
Formula
X IS LIKE Y, WHERE Y IS FROM A DISTANT DOMAIN AND SHARES THE EXACT STRUCTURE
Good examples
- Networking events are speed dating for people who have given up on being liked.
- Group chats are democracy with no exit and no laws.
Bad example
It was like a really bad thing. (No source domain.)
Before → After
Our onboarding is confusing.
Our onboarding is an IKEA manual translated by someone who has never seen furniture.
When to use
When the subject is abstract and needs a body.
When not to use
When the comparison requires explaining the source domain.
Common failure modes
- Source too close
- Source too obscure
- Explaining the analogy afterward
Advanced combinations
- AN + SP = the exact strange comparison
- AN + ES = escalating comparisons
Writing
List 20 source domains, force the subject through each.
Stage
Land on the source noun. It's the punch word.
Crowd work
Compare their job to something structurally identical and socially worse.
Improv
Use analogy to define the world's rules quickly.
Business
Analogy is the fastest positioning tool ever invented.
Told to the AI as
Generate analogies from domains at maximum semantic distance while preserving structural fit.
Exercises
Beginner
Write 10 analogies for your job.
Intermediate
Write analogies for one subject from 5 fixed domains: nature, war, religion, sports, plumbing.
Advanced
Sustain one analogy for 60 seconds without it collapsing.