Conceptualizing Profundity Through Lexicon and Metaphor

• In Event: 25.086 - Sheraton Roundtable Session One - Grand Centre
  In Roundtable Session: 25.086-10 - Spirituality and Education SIG: Roundtables

Abstract

This paper elaborated the concept “profound” by use of definition and metaphor. Synthesizing existing definitions of profound and deep provided richer understandings of “profound”, which is often simply described as “depth” or “deep”. The concept of profound is rich in meaning. It represents depth as physical, mental, emotional and spiritual qualities. Becoming profound is also a process and a state of being. The concept of profound was also fleshed out by reviewing and integrating qualities of related metaphors. Metaphors representing the profound can be categorized as moving in one of two directions –down or out; as one spot, such as a center or a still point; as an entire milieu or state of being; or as a process.

Authors

• Michael Kroth, University of Idaho

• Davin Carr-Chellman, University of Idaho