Vitaly Sharovatov

On analogies.

Analogies are frequently used in discussions, often with the aim of convincing someone or clarifying a concept. I recently had one conversation on the rationality of estimations in software development. Someone brought up an analogy with food delivery, saying, “You’d want to know when your pizza will be ready and delivered, wouldn’t you?” Certainly, the analogy doesn’t stand, the contexts are very different in many terms, the first one is variation.

For an analogy to serve its purpose, the contexts need to be very similar, only then the analogy can offer a valid comparison.

It’s pretty clear that using an analogy from a context that doesn’t align with the actual context is a form of manipulation.

Regrettably, the incorrect use of analogies is all too common.

Tip: If you find the context of an analogy unfamiliar, or if it doesn’t seem to match the actual context, or if you’re uncertain about its relevance — don’t hesitate to redirect the discussion to the original subject.