林语堂先生用中国众多的谚语和比喻描述这种思维方式。“下面学术性的句子很难译成汉语:‘There is no difference but difference of degree between different degree of difference and no difference.’中国的翻译家可能会用孟子的一句话来代替‘以五十步笑百步,则如何?’….‘How could I perceive his inner mental process?’翻译成‘我怎能感知他大脑内部的运动过程’远不如‘我是他肚子里的蛔虫吗?’”。