Allegory of the Cave
An important element of Symbolic Convergence Theory is the propensity of the phenomenon it illustrates to be used against the public good. Whether unintentionally or intentionally, SCT can be seen at work in revisionist history. The intentional malevolent use of SCT principles against the public good can be seen in the rash of "Fake News" campaigns in which false perceptions are fed to society in order to create a false, but widely believed, consensus (convergence) of belief. This is tantamount to intentionally creating false representation on the walls of Plato's cave.(See Plato's Allegory of the Cave above) Conversely, unintended convergence of negative social ideas are illustrated by Jonathan Haidt describing the formation of American social and political tribalism.