Creating mental models for things is very helpful. Fish don’t know what water is because they don’t have a mental model for it. In the same way, there are things all around you that you don’t connect to other things because you can’t conceptualize them.
In order to take action on something, we need to be able to target it in our minds and intentions. We can’t do that without a conceptual framework. So analogies, models, terms and diagrams – these are all helpful. And even the ability to create them is a valuable skill to hone.
The Opportunity Machine 