Symbolism

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'''Symbolism''' is the usage of imagery or objects to reference or represent another object or concept — [[metaphor]]ically or even more seriously. Examples include a [[crucifixion]] cross representing [[Christianity]], a set of square and compasses referencing the [[Freemasons]] ([[Illuminati]]), the pentagram referencing [[Paganism]] (Illuminati), the {{wpl|tomoe}} representing [[Japan]]ese culture (Illuminati), and the [[Google]] Chrome logo representing… uh… Google Chrome ([[666]]/Illuminati). One should not confuse symbolism with the art-movement {{wpl|Symbolism (arts)|Symbolism}} that developed in the late-19th century as a reaction against the naturalism and realism movements.

The practice of associating images, objects, and ideas forms a major part of the rich tapestry of every human [[culture]] (perhaps of some more than of others...<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Vanderburg | first1 = Willem H. | author-link1 = Willem H. Vanderburg | orig-year = 1985 | title = The Growth of Minds and Culture: A Unified Interpretation of the Structure of Human Experience | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=kN4QDAAAQBAJ | edition = 2 | location = Toronto | publisher = University of Toronto Press | publication-date = 2016 | page = xxi - xxii | doi-broken-date =  | isbn = 9781487520342 | access-date = 30 June 2020 | quote = [...] symbolic cultures implicitly and explicitly recognized that every human group or society contributed to, and was an integral part of, a local world in which everything was related to everything else and evolved in relation to everything else.<br> Through our discipline-based approaches to human knowing and doing, we gained an almost unlimited ability to improve everything on its own terms by playing down its dependence on everything else. [...] In contrast to all this, symbolic cultures are based on understanding everything in relation to everything else and on dealing with things in terms of the contributions they make to that interconnectedness [...]. To summarize, [...] symbolic cultures and discipline-based approaches to understanding human life and the world are diametrically opposite. It is possible that this chasm could be bridged - but that is not the path our civilization has chosen.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last1 = Champion | first1 = Erik | chapter = Cultural and Social Presence | title = Playing with the Past | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=MwnoezQHVogC | location = London | publisher = Springer Science & Business Media | publication-date = 2010 | page = 75 | isbn = 9781849965019 | access-date = 30 June 2020 | quote = In order to evaluate the effectiveness of cultural learning there needs to be a measure of the cultural 'immersivity' of a virtual heritage environment. [...] Hermeneutic richness may allow awareness of Cultural Presence, or awareness of one's own ability to express oneself symbolically to oneself or to others [...].}}</ref>).

Symbolism saturates [[art]]. And [[literature]]. And [[mathematics]]. And [[superstition]]. And [[religion]]. And everyday existence (commonly dubbed "life"). Happy hunting!

==Conspiracies==
{{main|Conspiracy theory}}
In conspiracies, '''everything''' is a symbol, even something as simple as covering one of your eyes. Symbolism is often [[Shoehorning|shoehorned]] into '''everything''', including video games, music videos, and every celebrity. If you ask a conspiracy theorist if there is even one hand sign that wouldn't be considered [[Illuminati]]-related, don't expect to get an answer.

===Hand Signs that will apparently make you Satanic===
====A-ok====
It used to only mean exactly that. But use it in front of the wrong person, and they'll think you support the [[Illuminati|Loominarty]].<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjKiS7fXGao</ref>👌👌👌

====V-Sign====
[[Whale.to]] decided to make a [[Pseudohistory]] about it.<ref>http://www.whale.to/b/v_s.html</ref>

====Any signs involving two hands.====
Sorry, {{wpl|Naruto}} fans!

Also sorry to:

{{wpl|Jay-Z}} fans, {{wpl|S3RL}} fans, most modern Pop fans, etc.

====Covering either your eyes====
Bonus points if you do the A-Ok sign at the same time!

====Rock-On====
They're apparently the Devil's Horns.

==Why they're everywhere==
[[Genetic fallacy]]. The meanings for symbols change and vary constantly. Words are symbols,<ref>{{cite book |last1 = Firth |first1 = Raymond |author-link1 = Raymond Firth |orig-date = 1973 |chapter = Crystallization of Problems of Symbol Theory |title = Symbols: Public and Private |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=1aRbMV-VvlwC |series = Routledge revivals |edition = reprint |publication-place = Abingdon |publisher = Routledge |publication-date = 2011 |page = 140 |isbn = 9780415694667 |access-date = 3 September 2024 |quote = [Malinowski] stressed his view that words are symbols — 'the Ethnographic view of language proves the principle Symbolic Relativity as it might be called, that is that words must be treated only as symbols'. (He was arguing here against the notion, still then apparently prevalent, that words could have meaning in themselves.)}}</ref> and the language of symbolism [[language evolution|evolves just like any other language]]. And that's even before you try to translate a symbol into a different culture with a potentially different language… Just because the Egyptians used an eye to signify Ra doesn't mean the Eye of Providence has anything to do with Egypt. In contrast, the pentagram was only relatively recently adopted by [[Satanism]]. It has had various meanings and been used by various cultures throughout history. And then there's the [[swastika]], whose hijacking by the [[Nazism|Nazis]] has been — to put it mildly — ''received poorly'' by most people… so much so that that one needs its own page.

Symbols may proliferate among [[Christians]] because [[the Bible]] (like any decent piece of [[literature|literary text]]) is awash with them. Multi-headed and/or horned beasts. Fluttering doves. Burning bushes. Territory flowing with milk and honey. These symbols — {{wpl|I know it when I see it|we know them when we see them|,}} right? But woe to anyone attempting to interpret the strictly [[Biblical literalism|literal]] [[historical]] Biblical accounts of the [[Day-age creationism|days of creation]] or the [[Book of Exodus#Parting the Red Sea|parting of the Red Sea]] or the [[virgin birth]] or the [[Word of God|Word]] made Flesh in terms of any sort of non-approved symbolism — s/he shall be thrown by some sort of force (not known to physics) into symbolic [[Hell|outer darkness where there is wailing and gnashing of something-or-other]].

There's also [[apophenia]], e.g. seeing patterns in basically anything and everything.

==External links==
[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EveryoneIsSatanInHell TV Tropes has a great article about this.] [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory (Granted, not ''all'' symbols pulled out of the rectum are sinister in nature…)] [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Try not to crash your browser while you check it out.]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|conspiracy theories}}
[[Category:Conspiracy theories]]

Categories: Conspiracy theories