 Before considering a few particular examples of exoteric strategies in the Monadologie (and other texts), it is worth reiterating Leibniz’s explanation of why his philosophy was easy to misunderstand. In the letter to Hugony quoted earlier Leibniz said that he needed to present his philosophy in an informal manner because it was likely to be misunderstood in relation to the senses. The tendency people have to rely on a sensory-based theory of knowledge is one of the primary stumbling blocks that prevent them from understanding his philosophical system. Many of Leibniz’s core concepts and principles can only be adequately grasped through the intellect, not through the senses or the imagination (see, for example, Leibniz’s remarks on force in De Ipsa Natura (G 4:508; AG 159)). One of Leibniz’s main exoteric strategies for dealing with this situation is to utilize sensible analogies, imaginative metaphors, anecdotes, and stories to introduce and motivate his abstract concepts, principles, and theses. Such metaphors and analogies enable his readers to attain an introductory understanding of the thesis or principle in question. Let us consider a few examples.