On simulating something abstract:
This is the role that stories play — putting knowledge into a framework that is more lifelike, more true to our day-to-day existence. More like a flight simulator. Being the audience for a story isn’t so passive, after all. Inside, we’re getting ready to act. — Made to Stick, pp 214
Stories are almost always concrete. They can almost single-handedly defeat the curse of knowledge. Most of them have emotional and unexpected elements. The hardest part of using stories effectively is making sure that they’re simple.