No, that's not only a metaphor but something more fundamental. You know, it is a classic psychological trap. For example, in a formal cognitive function assessment, we do not ask what the difference is between an orange and an apple (or between an orange and a ball), but, rather, one ask what is the similarity.
To go one step forward, seeing the difference between two different things is a matter of passive recognition and comprehension; seeing the similarity requires active neuronal activity.
Or, wisdom, if you prefer to call it that way.
And, by seeing the similarity, human being could classify things and formulate scientific hypothesis. More importantly, when faced with an unfamiliar situation, we make use of the similarity with some seemingly unrelated matter as the analogy for illumination and a guide for our decision.
PS. That's also why Aristotle was such a gigantic figure in the history of philosophy and science - he saw the similarity between various objects and made a classification.
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