Analogy
Understanding something new by mapping it onto something familiar with the same structure.
At a glance
Key signals
0% cross fields · reaches 5 more
- Cognitive Science
- Linguistics
- Philosophy
- Explanation
- Examples
- Misconception
- Sourced relations
- Attribution
Dependencies
What this concept builds on and what it makes possible — derived from the atlas’s dependency, causal and structural relations, not from every related edge.
Foundations · builds on
Analogydepends onPatternSupported
An analogy works by matching a shared pattern.
Mechanism: We reason by analogy when two different things share the same underlying structure — spotting that shared pattern is what lets an idea transfer between subjects.
Structural role & consequence
Interpreted from the current atlas graph — what the connections mean, not just how many there are.
Currently dark in the atlas: no key date stored · 2 of 2 of its relations lack claim-level evidence.
atlas representation · Describes the current Thinking OS representation, not the state of the world.
Builds on 1 foundation (requires / depends-on / derived-from / emerges-from).
structural · Structural graph analysis — not a claim of importance, causation or history.
Structural neighbourhood: 2 → 14 → 63 concepts reachable within 3 hops.
structural · Structural reach — being reachable is not the same as being understood.
All 2 of its relationships stay within its own discipline — a field-specific concept in the current atlas.
structural · Structural graph analysis — not a claim of importance, causation or history.
cross-field
2 within-field, 0 cross-field
Strengths & constraints
Constraints
- Evidence coverage currently thin in the atlas — few of its relationships carry claim-level evidence. atlas representation
- No dated history stored — the atlas records no key date for this concept. atlas representation
Conditions
- Its dependency reading rests on 1 foundation relation. structural
- Read structurally — most of its relationships carry no external evidence yet, so claims here are graph-derived. structural
Dependency radial
What this concept builds on (left) and what it makes possible (right) — derived from dependency and causal relations.
Seen through each discipline
How this concept sits in each of its fields — derived from its real connections in the graph, not asserted.
Through this lens it connects to Pattern and Generalization.
Through this lens it connects to Pattern.
Related ideas to explore
Concepts that look related but are not yet connected here — candidates for a connection to reason about, not established links.
This idea also appears in…
The same structure shows up in other disciplines. These are real recurrences drawn from the graph — a starting point for asking “what carries over, and what changes?”
Networks46 disciplines · 39 concepts
Concepts
shares a mental model
shares a mental model
shares a mental model
shares a mental model
shares a mental model
shares a mental model
An analogy carries an idea from something you know to something you don't: an atom is a bit like a tiny solar system. Analogies power transfer — but they always break down somewhere, so check where the match ends.
Mental models at work here
- Connects 2 other ideas across 6 disciplines.
- A cross-disciplinary bridge — its connections reach into 5 other fields.
- Most of its connections are of the “Dependency” kind.
- It exercises 1 reusable thinking pattern.
Derived from the graph’s real structure — observations, not a score.
Sources
- Analogy (2025) verified
- 2. Analogy inside linguistics (2005) verified
- 1. Analogy and linguistics (1977) verified
- Analogy verified
- Analogy in Western Philosophy and Indian Approaches to Analogy: Introduction verified
- ANALOGY verified