Categories, Crossroads, Control, Connectedness, Continuity, and Change: A Metaphorical Exploration of COVID-19

Drawing on metaphors as deep cognitive devices, that prefigure important conceptual categories and form the basis for action, we suggest that we are at a crossroads in terms of the implications of Covid-19. One direction, characterized by the metaphor of ‘war’, is about establishing control to ensure continuity (i.e. a ‘normative-normal’). The other direction, based on the metaphor of ‘community’, is concerned with a heightened sense of connectedness, common interests, and shared purpose as a process of significant change (i.e. a ‘new-normal’). We conclude by briefly discussing the implications of these competing metaphor-based, post-crisis views of normality.