So you have what you think is a great idea to solve a major problem. Unfortunately, your idea is rather complex to explain to the people whose support you need for it. What do you do?
- Drown your listeners in the details of your idea?
- Talk v–e–r–y s–l–o–w–l–y and hope for the best?
- Rushthroughthedetailsanddazzlethemwithyourenthusiasm? Or,
- Use an appropriate metaphor to simplify your explanation and make your idea instantly more meaningful?
That is the challenge that the various Democratic presidential candidates face each time they have to explain and differentiate their health plans to the American public. (To date, none of them seem to be doing this too well.)
Enter The New York Times
However, while the Democrats struggle to communicate the essence of their plans to the American public, The New York Times came up with an elaborate home
construction metaphor to help mere mortals like us understand what they seem to be offering.
I encourage you to check out the full article here. It’s a short entertaining read, complete with amusing pictures that reinforce the metaphor. Below is a brief summary to give you an idea of how they executed on the construction metaphor. Notice how the theme is carried throughout the explanations.
The Current System: A Weird House
The NYT asks us to think of the current health care system as a “sort of weird old house,” with various wings, different architectural ad-ons, surprise rooms, and some rundown parts, like a leaking roof. Not ideal, but it still works. “No one would rather be homeless than live in the house.”
The Pelosi Plan: Still a Weird House, But With Patches
…would deal with biggest structural issues…lower the cost of health insurance for more people and fix some glitches in the original…wouldn’t cost a lot…the home construction equivalent of patching the roof, fixing a saggy porch and repainting. The house would still be weird and there would still be some people without a place to live…
The Biden Plan: Weird, Patched, & with a Whole New Wing
…do the patches and add a wing by expanding Medicare to allow more people to join…everyone stays in the house while it is being renovated…might cause some disruptions…would cost more, but would include more people…paid for with taxes and rent…(also endorsed by Buttigieg, Castro, Klobuchar, O’Rourke)
The Sanders Plan: The Dream House
…would tear the house down and build a dream home…it would be enormous with wonderful amenities…all rooms the same for everyone…likely cost overruns in the construction…some might miss the old weird house… no one would pay rent, but they would pay higher taxes…The Single –payer dream house… (also endorsed by Booker, Gabbard, Warren, and Yang)
The Harris Plan: The Housing Development
…tear the weird house down…offer choices in rooms…set up a new universal Medicare plan to include options from private insurers…basic architecture stays the same, but families would be able to choose some custom options, like paint color, counter tops and bed linens…expensive and everyone would need to move…
Tear Down? Fix it Up? You decide
As the NYT makes clear, there are many ways that a healthcare system is not like a residence. However, their home construction metaphor gives us a way to frame the different plans. With each frame, we can better compare and contrast the details to decide which plan makes the most sense.
Back to your world: What metaphor can you use to simplify complex ideas and recommendations to get the results you want?
Anne Miller
Make What You Say Pay! – with Metaphors