“Just Alike Only Different” Activities: Analogies
People who like using analogies will take to them like a duck takes to water or a pig takes
to mud. If people really like these activities, it will be like falling in love for the first time or
the joy that comes from the birth of your first child. People may like these activities because
they help them function as smoothly as a fine Swiss watch.The previous paragraph represents analogical thinking—comparisons based on similari-
ties. Whenever we say something is “like” something else, we make an analogy.
Such expressions enrich and enliven language and interpersonal communication in
particular. Analogies also allow us to express ourselves creatively. Thus, all analogies are
creative products.
Analogies can help explain difficult concepts and solve problems. For instance, educa-
tors use analogies extensively when trying to teach difficult concepts. Teachers pick one
topic familiar to students and compare it with an unfamiliar topic. This enables students
to understand the new topic more clearly based on their familiarity with the first topic.
Outside of the classroom, we also may use analogies when trying to explain a difficult
subject to someone.
Analogies have broad applicability in the business world. One of the most famous
examples involves the use of analogies to develop Pringles®potato chips. A client of the
Cambridge consulting firm Synectics, Inc., (Gordon, 1961) gave the firm a problem of
how to put more potato chips on supermarket shelves. Regular bags of potato chips con-
tain a lot of air and take up valuable space. If the product could be compressed, the com-
pany could increase its sales volume.
To solve this problem, firm members thought of other things in life that are com-
pressed. One that stood out was leaves. When crushed and mixed with water, the leaves
would still be there but would use less space. So the firm applied this concept to potato
chips by mixing water with dehydrated potato flour, shaping the chips, stacking them,
and putting them in small, cylindrical containers. Voila! An elegant solution using analog-
ical thinking.
The activities that follow are based on this same process of applying analogies, but
these activities add a few twists. The only exception is the I Like It Like That [55] exercise,
which provides a more structured approach to analogical thinking.228 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving.Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
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