[Electric Speed] Metaphorical quotations | Natural language playlist

A note from Jane

I recently finished watching the latest season of The Crown that focuses on the separation and divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

This is not a period of history I’m particularly interested in, but I was struck by a sharp, well-edited sequence where Prime Minister John Major talks to Charles and Diana, each separately and privately, to help them come to a divorce settlement.

Diana, for her part, is seeking a sizable lump sum payment north of $30 million. Charles finds the demand outrageous, an attempt to ruin him, a vindictive punishment.

Major, with calm reserve, tells Charles, "Perhaps the Princess, in seeking such a large initial sum, is simply trying to ensure her future independence, rather than allowing a situation to develop in which she is beholden to you for a longer period of time. In some ways, her attempt to avoid a financial settlement with no fixed term could be seen as a way of liberating you both."

Charles responds, "Well, I’m afraid that speaks to a generosity of spirit that you possess, not Diana."

Major: "I’m simply encouraging you to be more flexible in your thinking toward the Princess and what her motivations might be."

Later, when Major addresses Diana alone, he says, "In any negotiation it’s worth remembering there are often two languages being spoken. The language of the demands being made and what’s actually being said underneath. I prefer to try and ignore the former and speak the latter."

The account is a total fiction, but it delivers on emotional wisdom. For a period of years I negotiated contracts for a publisher, and it always helped to put the offer in human terms: Here’s how our business works. Here’s why we’re offering what we’re offering. Here’s why we can offer this but not that.

If I knew we could never meet demand A, was there something else we could offer that would address the underlying desire or concern?

Sometimes, sadly, no. But compromise is far more likely when you understand motivations. I try to be interested and curious about the other side, even if and when I must walk away from a negotiation to protect my interests.

This suggestion comes from reader Dan Janal, who says Dr. Mardy at the Dictionary of Metaphorical Quotations is "amazing." The essence of the site: "Metaphorical thinking is at the heart of the human experience. When we encounter something new and unfamiliar—or try to make sense out of something that is not well understood—we often benefit from relating it to something we know well. And when great writers or thinkers have attempted to describe or explain something in a compelling or unforgettable way, their chief tool has been metaphorical phrasing. It is the key to elevating human language from the prosaic to the poetic." Visit the database.

In the last issue, I asked you to tell me about a magazine you love reading. Here’s a selection of what you said:

Atlas Obscura is an online zine with short articles on interesting places, history, folklore, foods and traditions. Plus they have out of the ordinary classes such as how to play ancient games or read the landscape. Plenty of great fodder for stories. —Cheryl Whitmore
The only print magazine I still get is What Doctors Don’t Tell You. It is the epitome of alternative health news, offering information both eye-opening and controversial. —Donna Mosher
Positive News. They call themselves "the first media organisation in the world dedicated to quality, independent reporting about what’s going right." It’s a UK publication in print but one can subscribe to the newsletter and/or read their work online. —Jennifer Darnell
Charisma Magazine is for Christians searching for more than they’re finding at their churches or in their prayers. —Chris Posti
Magazine suggestion for authors: Scientific American. I’m a historical fiction author, but Scientific American has given me ideas that I use. I can extrapolate or find an analogy that works. The goal, as always, is to diversify my thinking and Scientific American does that for me all the time. —Aline Soules
Brain & Life, a free publication of the American Academy of Neurology, self-described as Neurology for Everyday Living, Powered by Trusted Neurologists. —John Matenkosky
High Country News: it covers issues related to water, Native Americans, land use, tourism, recreation. Everything the rest of the country hears about peripherally is covered, through highly researched and well-written journalism. —Sarah Chase Shaw
Yes! Magazine, journalism for people building a better world, is the most positive media I read. When overwhelmed by the news, I read the solutions that people & organizations are using successfully to make the world a better place. —Rhonda Wiley-Jones
Orion magazine is top notch. —Monika Rose
I think Bourbon Penn magazine is criminally underrated. One of the best magazines for weird fiction and somehow they are making it work! Awesome cover art, too! —Morgan
Magazine I enjoyed in print for years and now online, and through emails: Midwest Living. I grew up in NE Ohio and spent years outside Chicago, and a couple years in Indiana. I currently live in Southern California. The magazine has spectacular photos, articles about great Midwest places and people, lists festivals and events, and shares recipes and more. For this homesick SoCal gal, it provides a sense of all I love about the Midwest. I find it relaxing. I love experiencing the change of seasons through the images, too. —Cindi
I subscribe to Prairie Fire: A Canadian Magazine of New Writing. Every issue is inspiring and thought-provoking. —Nella

Next question: Did you receive a delightful gift over the holiday that you want to tell everyone about? Hit reply to this email and let me know, or discuss over on Discord.

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