The experimental study presented deals with the interplay between ideals and reasoning. In pairs of twos, sixty subjects judged twelve pictures of forests with respect to 'typical and good examples of forests'. Interactions between ideals and conceptions of forests were prominent. Ideals of forests provided alternative contexts of concept formation. When subjects used conflicting ideals, conceptual conflicts arose and subjects tried to explicate and deliberate a certain concept of forests. Metaphors of forests were not common in the subjects' discourse. Nonetheless, metaphors would seem to be excellent sources to locate ideals. (Adapted from Tom Andersson)