Language is symbolic and I have
always believed this to be true. We use symbols in some way when we talk even
if we don’t directly refer to them. During conversations we picture the things
that we are talking about. Symbols are powerful since we don’t all see the same
symbol when we speak to one another. If I am talking about a dog then my friend
will picture their own idea of what a dog looks like. It could be entirely
different than what I am thinking of, but the basic idea that it’s a dog will
still stick. It is important that we are descriptive in our conversations
because of the fact that language is symbolic. It is easy for miscommunication
to occur when you are vague in your descriptions. I have found this to be
important when writing the grocery list for my boyfriend. I might want a
specific kind of beef, but if I just write ‘meat’ he might come back with a New
York steak when I wanted sirloin.
I also thought the subject about symbols was fascinating. One part especially grabbed my attention, where it talks about same symbol could represent or interpret differently in different countries. I remember when in elementary school we were learning sign letters and practiced how to fold our fingers. When we came across the symbol t, I was astonished when my teacher showed us how to do it. In my culture the symbol of t actually represents a curse. I would say the symbol pretty much has the same meaning as the middle finger. So I definitely see validity in this fact about symbols.
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