skills/cw-analogy/SKILL.md

---
name: cw-analogy
description: Generate analogy options to explain a concept. Invoke with /cw-analogy or /cw-analogy [concept to explain].
---

# Analogy

## Purpose

Generate analogy options to make an abstract or complex concept concrete and understandable.

## Invocation

- `/cw-analogy [concept]` — Generate analogies for the specified concept
- `/cw-analogy` — System asks "What concept do you want to explain?" then generates options
- Works on selection if provided, asks if not

## How to Generate

1. **Understand the concept** — What's the core mechanism or principle?

2. **Identify the audience** — What do they already know? What's familiar to them?

3. **Find parallel structures** — What everyday experiences share the same underlying pattern?

4. **Generate 3 analogies** from different domains:
   - Physical/tangible world
   - Human relationships or social dynamics
   - Common activities or processes

5. **Test each analogy:**
   - Does it illuminate the concept?
   - Does it hold up under scrutiny (or break in misleading ways)?
   - Is it accessible to the target audience?

## Output Format

```
## Analogy Options

### Option 1: [Domain]
[The analogy explained in 2-3 sentences]

### Option 2: [Domain]
[The analogy explained in 2-3 sentences]

### Option 3: [Domain]
[The analogy explained in 2-3 sentences]

---

Which clicks? Or want me to explore a different angle?
```

## Principles

- **Familiar vehicle, unfamiliar cargo** — The analogy should come from something the reader knows well
- **Structural, not surface** — The best analogies share underlying mechanisms, not just superficial features
- **Know the limits** — Every analogy breaks down somewhere; know where yours does
- **Concrete beats abstract** — "It's like a thermostat" beats "It's like a feedback loop"

## What to Avoid

- Analogies that require as much explanation as the original concept
- Clichéd comparisons (tip of the iceberg, double-edged sword)
- Analogies that mislead more than they illuminate
- Mixing metaphors

## Lessons

[Skill-specific lessons will be added here as they're captured]