Metaphor research can be relevant for society in many ways. Professionals in foreign language teaching, for instance, have had a long-standing interest in the role of metaphor in teaching vocabulary and idiom. Professionals in document design and communication are interested in how metaphor can work in texts and the media. They often work as advisors to public figures in politics, government, business, organizations (profit and non-profit) and so on. All of these professionals have a view of the power of metaphor in action which is fed by research done for scientific purposes.

DMT asks new questions about the real power of metaphor in action. It is sceptical about the alleged framing effects of all metaphor. It promotes a more precise view of the differences between various kinds of metaphor and how this may have consequences for the effects attributed to all metaphor. DMT also promotes a more critical view of  all metaphor as inescapable metaphors we live by, and stimulates intervention and change by alternative deliberate metaphor use.

At bottom, this is all about comparisons between unlike things. When do we want or need comparisons in which practices in society? Which comparison(s) can we see as being used as comparisons in which conditions? And how far do we want the comparisons to go? These are questions that professionals who are interested in metaphor can all attend to directly themselves. They can do so better if there is more research on the various uses of metaphor, deliberate or non-deliberate.