2. Association . If I illustrate from the game of basketball, I touch listeners' memories, attitudes, and emotions associated with the game. The mind of a listener is not a clean slate. I purposely use figurative illustrations with favorable or unfavorable associations in mind. An adverse metaphor, such as likening moral authority to an assault rifle, is untrue in its effect because it stirs revulsion rather than receptiveness.
Indirection breaks down listeners' sophisticated defenses against the truth.
Like a stealth fighter, an analogy carries its payload into a person's heart unawares. Jesus used metaphor for this purpose. The literal illustration often models what we want others to imitate or avoid. If I illustrate earnest prayer by telling when I fasted and prayed for God's help with my finances, listeners see how to do it themselves. Something about true stories carries extra weight.