aromaticity pays for making something unstable

An example of metaphor used to explain science:

"The first example arose from Alabugin's long-standing interest in cycloaromatisation reactions, including the Bergman cyclisation. 'This is an interesting reaction because it converts a molecule with two triple bonds into a diradical, which is unstable – but you simultaneously make a benzene ring, and so aromaticity pays for making something unstable,' Alabugin says. There are four potential ways that such diradical cycloaromatisations might proceed, and four different cyclised products that would result. One of these four cycloaromatisations was unknown. 'So we designed a way to do it, using systems incorporating a benzene ring.'"

Chemistry World

Dr Igor Alabugin, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida State University reported in: Mitchell Crow, J. (2024). Illuminating antiaromaticity. Chemistry World, 21(5), 42-47. https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/illuminating-antiaromaticity/4019362.article