A rose on social media, can it smell as sweet?

Image credit: www.ooyuz.com

@Renee Cormier posted her Buzz, Does your social media strategy include a sniff test? 

I asked Renee where the expression of the “sniff” test comes from. She responded:

“It comes from me, @Sara Jacobovici. Animals sniff out danger and opportunity all the time. Would you rather approach someone who didn't smell good or wait until a better smelling person came along? Would you buy a stinky fish or eat something that smelled bad? Of course not! Good sales people discriminate and know how to use their sniffers well! :)

I then replied:

“That's why I asked @Renee Cormier and I appreciate you taking the time to respond. The foundation of my work is that we are sensory beings. Anything related to a sensory experience or expression interests me; especially when it comes in a metaphor! What intrigues me about your expression is that it comes from a sensory environment and is being carried over into a limited sensory environment, an environment where we don't relate to each other through smell. Your comment makes me think of how do we make "sense" of this transition and what new expressions will come out of this new environment? Thanks Renee.

Then I realized that I need to ask more questions “out of the comment box”.

The questions that come up for me include questions related to senses and questions related to metaphor.

Senses

Since we are sensory beings and we form meaning through our sensory experiences, what happens when we engage in the world where we are cut off certain sensations?

We come into this world with all the sounds necessary to speak any and all languages. When we learn a language and engage solely in that one, we lose the sounds which do not belong to that language. I wonder if that happens now with our senses.

We come equipped with a sensory system that has all the sensations at our disposal. What happens then when we are no longer utilizing any one sense?

Metaphor

When we think metaphorically we utilize our ability to imagine. Imaging is defined as "the ability to recreate sensory impressions and feelings in our minds in the absence of extrinsic or direct physical stimulation from our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, hands or body."

What happens to our language of metaphors when certain senses are not included?

Is it like the sounds which are lost to us when we are engaged in only one language?

I ask you @Renee Cormier, what does your metaphor regarding smell mean to users of social media in an environment in which we do not have access to smell and have to rely on the metaphor for meaning?

Thank you Renee for inspiring this engagement.