Psychology

Metaphors originating in or studied by psychology — how humans perceive, decide, and behave.

Entries (191)

Abilities Are Entities Inside A Person metaphor
Acting Compulsively Is Ingesting A Substance Compulsively metaphor
Activation Energy mental-model
Affection Is Warmth metaphor
Analysis Paralysis metaphor
Anger Is a Heated Fluid in a Container metaphor
Anger Is Heat metaphor
Apprenticeship in Thinking metaphor
Aspects Of The Self Are Distinct Individuals metaphor
Assimilation and Accommodation metaphor
Attachment as Bond metaphor
Attachment Styles mental-model
Ball in a Pool metaphor
Berserker metaphor
Black Sheep metaphor
Boiling Frog metaphor
Burnout metaphor
Character Is a Wax Seal metaphor
Character Is Conduct mental-model
Chessboard Self metaphor
Choice Point mental-model
Clean Pain vs. Dirty Pain mental-model
Cognitive Defusion mental-model
Comedy Is Truth and Pain mental-model
Composting metaphor
Conceit Is Inflation metaphor
Confirmation Bias mental-model
Conscious Is Up; Unconscious Is Down metaphor
Containment metaphor
Courage Is Strength metaphor
Creative Hopelessness mental-model
Decoy Effect mental-model
Defense Mechanisms metaphor
Demons on the Boat metaphor
Desire Is Hunger metaphor
Desires Are Forces Between the Desired and the Desirer metaphor
Dichotomy of Control mental-model
Disgust Is Nausea metaphor
Double Listening pattern
Drive Out Fear mental-model
Dropping the Anchor metaphor
Effect on Emotional Self Is Contact with Physical Self metaphor
Effects of Humor Are Injuries metaphor
Emotion Is Motion metaphor
Emotional Intimacy Is Physical Closeness metaphor
Emotional Self Is A Brittle Object metaphor
Emotional Stability Is Balance metaphor
Emotional Stability Is Contact with the Ground metaphor
Emotional Stability Is Maintaining Position metaphor
Emotions Are Entities Within A Person metaphor
Emotions Are Forces metaphor
Emotions Are Locations metaphor
Emotions Are Weather metaphor
Environmental Impingement metaphor
Equilibration metaphor
Euphoric States Are Up metaphor
Externalizing the Problem pattern
Facilitating Environment metaphor
Fallow Period metaphor
Fear Is Cold metaphor
Felt Sense mental-model
Finger Trap metaphor
Framing Effect mental-model
Generativity metaphor
Going-on-Being metaphor
Good Enough Mother metaphor
Green Wood metaphor
Groupthink mental-model
Guided Participation mental-model
Hands as Thoughts metaphor
Hanlon's Razor mental-model
Hawthorne Effect mental-model
Hero's Journey archetype
Holding Environment metaphor
Holding Space metaphor
Identity Crisis metaphor
Impostor Syndrome metaphor
Impressions Are Visitors at the Door metaphor
Incentive-Caused Bias mental-model
Inner Child metaphor
Intense Emotions Are Heat metaphor
Internal Working Model metaphor
Internalization metaphor
Interpersonal Harmony Is Musical Harmony metaphor
Intimacy Is Closeness metaphor
Killing Kittens metaphor
Knowledge of Past Events Is an External Event Exerting Force On metaphor
Laughter Is a Substance metaphor
Leaves on a Stream metaphor
Life Is a Play metaphor
Lollapalooza Effect mental-model
Looking-Glass Self metaphor
Loss Aversion mental-model
Love Is a Physical Force metaphor
Love Is Madness metaphor
Love Is Magic metaphor
Loved One Is A Possession metaphor
Lust Is Heat metaphor
Lustful Person Is an Activated Machine metaphor
Lustful Person Is an Animal metaphor
Memento Mori mental-model
Mental Accounting metaphor
Mental Health Is Physical Health metaphor
Mind as a Radio metaphor
Mirror Role of Mother metaphor
Mirroring metaphor
Monotropy mental-model
Monty Hall Problem mental-model
Morality Is Cleanliness metaphor
More Knowledgeable Other mental-model
Mr. Market mental-model
Narcissism metaphor
Negative Visualization mental-model
Object Permanence mental-model
Passengers on the Bus metaphor
Pendulation metaphor
Perfectionism mental-model
Personality Is Material metaphor
Philosophy Is Medicine metaphor
Planning Fallacy mental-model
Potential Space metaphor
Premeditatio Malorum mental-model
Presenting Problem metaphor
Pride of Workmanship mental-model
Primary Maternal Preoccupation mental-model
Proximity Maintenance mental-model
Psychological Flexibility metaphor
Psychological Forces Are Physical Forces metaphor
Psychological States Are Warfare metaphor
Quicksand metaphor
Re-authoring pattern
Reciprocity mental-model
Relationships Are Enclosures metaphor
Rupture and Repair mental-model
Safe Haven metaphor
Scaffolding metaphor
Scaffolding in Therapy metaphor
Scapegoat archetype
Schema metaphor
Secure Base metaphor
Separation Anxiety mental-model
Shadow Work metaphor
Sharpening the Saw metaphor
Siren archetype
Siren Song metaphor
Sky and Weather metaphor
Social Proof mental-model
Stages of Development metaphor
Strong Emotion Is Blinding metaphor
Strong Emotions Are Madness metaphor
Struggle Switch metaphor
Sunk Cost Fallacy mental-model
Survivorship Bias mental-model
Take Your Own Pulse metaphor
Tantalus metaphor
The Absent but Implicit pattern
The Anima / Animus archetype
The Body Keeps the Score metaphor
The Divine Child archetype
The Great Mother archetype
The Hero archetype
The Magic If mental-model
The Maiden archetype
The Master's Eye Is the Best Fertilizer mental-model
The Mind Is a Citadel metaphor
The Mind Is a Jar of Water metaphor
The Patient Is the One with the Disease metaphor
The Persona archetype
The Promontory metaphor
The Self archetype
The Senex archetype
The Shadow archetype
The Shapeshifter archetype
The Wise Old Man archetype
Therapeutic Alliance metaphor
Things from Your Life pattern
Titration metaphor
Transference metaphor
Transitional Object mental-model
True Self / False Self metaphor
Trust vs. Mistrust mental-model
Tug of War with a Monster metaphor
Unconditional Positive Regard mental-model
Unique Outcomes pattern
Unwelcome Party Guest metaphor
Values Compass metaphor
We Are Puppets on Strings metaphor
Window of Tolerance metaphor
Working Through metaphor
Young Doctors Kill, Old Doctors Let Die metaphor
Zone of Proximal Development mental-model