An analogy was a logical argument used to compare two different figures of speech as being similar by comparison. A parable was an example of an analogy told in the form of a story.
In 2370, Data suggested the Barkonians' understanding of the four elements was reasoning by analogy. (TNG: "Thine Own Self")
Examples[]
- Following the capture of Captain Jonathan Archer, shortly after the launch of Enterprise NX-01, T'Pol and Trip Tucker argued the logic of the situation required to rescue the captain. While Tucker argued that he didn't "remember the Captain analyzing anything when he [rescued] you on that roof," she maintained that "that was a specious analogy," that is one that sounds and looks good, but is not that attractive, leaving Tucker to reply, "Is it." (ENT: "Broken Bow")
- According to Travis Mayweather, "The beauty of ice is that it records everything like a blank page. The farther down you drill, the farther back in time you go." (ENT: "Breaking the Ice")
- Following the destruction of the population of Paraagan II during a visit by Enterprise NX-01, and the subsequent backlash from the Vulcans, Captain Archer told a story of a time when he once visited East Africa. There he saw "a gazelle giving birth. It was truly amazing. Within minutes the baby was standing up, standing up on its own. A few more minutes and it was walking and before I knew it, it was running alongside its mother, moving away with the herd. Humans aren't like that, Ambassador. We may come from the same planet as those gazelles but we're pretty much helpless when we're born. It takes us months before we're able to crawl. Almost a full year before we can walk. Our deep space mission isn't much different. We're going to stumble, make mistakes, I'm sure more than a few, before we find our footing. But we're going to learn from those mistakes. That's what being Human is all about. I'm sorry you can't see that." Ambassador Soval's initial response to Archer's story was that "Your analogy is very colorful, Captain, but I question whether it addresses the consequences of your actions." (ENT: "Shockwave, Part II")
- In comparing the DNA from the Xindi corpse discovered on Earth and that of Kessick's finger, Doctor Phlox explained that "the genetic profile is nearly identical to the tissue samples taken from the corpse found on Earth. Their base pair sequencing is far closer than, say, Humans and chimpanzees. Nearly identical, but not quite." Responding to the comment, Archer asked, "'Like Humans and Neanderthals?" Which Phlox agreed was "A reasonable analogy." (ENT: "The Xindi")
- According to the Xindi-Arboreal Jannar, someone once said that "Dealing with Reptilians is like bargaining with the sun. You make no progress, and you come away burned." (ENT: "Azati Prime")
- According to the Xindi-Primate Degra, there's a saying, "It's easier to count the stars in the sky than it is for an Aquatic to reach a decision." (ENT: "The Council")
- With regards to the food prepared for Trelane's feast, Leonard McCoy stated that "Straw would taste better than his meat, and water a hundred times better than his brandy." (TOS: "The Squire of Gothos")
- After contracting a disease that caused rapid aging, Spock pointed out to James T. Kirk that "since our mental faculties are aging faster than our bodies, we will be little better than mental vegetables in considerably lesser time." Leading Kirk to deduce that they would also experience "total senility."(TOS: "The Deadly Years")
- According to Spock, "There's no analogy to this structure in Federation technology. It is, however, an energy field, and if the Tholians are successful in completing this structure before we have completed our repairs, we shall not see home again." (TOS: "The Tholian Web")
- According to Data, "A comparison modern scholars have drawn from Earth history likens the Ferengi to the ocean-going Yankee traders of 18th and 19th century America, sir. Who in this case sail the galaxy in search of mercantile and territorial opportunity." When William T. Riker asked if those scholars were "saying the Ferengi may not unlike us?" Data replied, "Hardly, sir. I believe this analogy refers to the worst quality of capitalists. The Ferengi are believed to conduct their affairs of commerce on the ancient principle caveat emptor. "Let the buyer beware."" (TNG: "The Last Outpost")
A visual aide to Moriarty's analogy
- When James Moriarty had the ability to call the holodeck arch, he described his impression of the information the USS Enterprise-D's main computer gave about his presence aboard the ship as "a great monstrous shape on which I am like a fly stuck on a turtle's back adrift in a great emptiness." (TNG: "Elementary, Dear Data")
- According to Thadiun Okona, "Life is like loading twice your cargo weight onto your spacecraft. If it's canaries and you can keep half of them flying all the time, you're all right." (TNG: "The Outrageous Okona")
- Kira Nerys's opinion on how to progress with changes in the Bajoran Provisional Government was explained as, "If you want to change the government, Minister Jaro, you vote to change it. You don't sneak up from behind it with a dagger." (DS9: "The Circle")
- According to Gideon Seyetik, "A great terraformer needs the green thumb of a gardener, the eye of a painter and the soul of a poet. And of course it doesn't hurt to be a raging egomaniac." (DS9: "Second Sight")
- When Quark and Julian Bashir visited Vic's lounge in late 2374, to lament the news that Jadzia Dax and Worf were considering having a baby. When Vic Fontaine figured that that was the cause of their woes, he explained it in other terms, specifically, "It's simple. You take one beautiful, happily married filly, add the possibility of her giving birth to a foal, and what's that leave you? A couple of lovesick stallions that never got out of the starting gate." Though Quark had no idea what Vic was talking about, Vic nonetheless continued, "Hey, I've got news for you guys. It's time to move onto greener pastures." (DS9: "Tears of the Prophets")
- After interacting with The Doctor's holonovel, Photons Be Free, B'Elanna Torres wondered what the point of the oversized backpack holoemitter was about, saying that "it was like carrying around a small shuttlecraft." The Doctor explained that it was "a metaphor" representing "a symbol of the burdens that I live with every day. Imagine having to take this everywhere you go. It would be a constant reminder that you're different from everyone else. I wanted the player to feel the weight of it. Literally." (VOY: "Author, Author")