Concept handles, after Alexander

Remember, a concept is a spin or a twist, a unique and original framing of material.

Definitions for a concept are seen as characterizing the things that are inherent in the concept itself. We, on the other hand, are concerned with how human beings get a handle on the concept—how they understand it and function in terms of

and use them in a sentence, an explanation, a comparison, or a story, stripping hugely complex situations down to their essentials, and giving the mind enormous leverage in reasoning broadly about the world.

When we engineer a concept, we gain access to a whole new set of resources associated with that expanded meaning

First, we can coin or co-opt a term or concept. Having a shorthand for something is a way to circumvent, or at least condense, awkward conversation and the job of describing it.