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Symbolic meaning ineffectual
Negative use of symbolic
2012/07/26
9:37am
Glenn
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Today I was listening to a podcast (I had run out of AWWW), and the hosts were discussing a historic event. One of them said that a certain protest was “symbolic.” The other agreed that it was “really symbolic.” I was a little surprised they thought it was so important.

Shortly, it became clear that what they were saying was that it was MERELY symbolic, that is, ineffectual.

I totally misunderstood their intent. I thought they were elevating the importance of this protest by giving it “symbolic” significance. In fact, they were dismissing it. I remark that the use of “really symbolic” underscores the shared understanding of a negative connotation. I don’t find this negative definition in any of the dictionaries I have consulted.

Thoughts?

2012/07/26
9:44am
Grant Barrett
San Diego, California
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I'd say the negativity isn't a connotation of the word "symbolic" but of the context of its use. It's not the sort of thing that needs to be defined in a dictionary, because that could happen to just about any adjective.

2012/07/26
9:51am
Glenn
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I agree about the simple use of symbolic.

I wasn't very clear that it was particularly the use of the intensifier really that throws me. I still can't embrace that. To me it mandates a purely negative, not merely contextual, meaning.

2012/07/26
1:04pm
RobertB
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Another common dismissive expression: 'a largely symbolic move.'
But this is positive: 'a very symbolic move.'

2012/07/28
1:42am
Robert
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Grant Barrett said
… could happen to just about any adjective.

This would be true of most adjectives: while a definition of it can be fixed down-pat such as in a dictionary, the true living sense of it will involve a readjustment of one's preconception.

The adjective symbolic certainly works that way.

Likewise does human, as in this statement:

  'Our leader is human,'

which can have opposing senses if one comes from opposing preconceptions, for instance these:

1--He is not the angel we thought he was (e.g. now that he has displayed meanness of character.)

2--He is not an unfeeling psycho after all (e.g. now that he has shown genuine kindness to children.)

So adjectives will the same one both elevate and debase, enlarge and diminish, intensify and lessen, etc.

2012/07/28
12:52pm
Bob Bridges
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I wonder if this use of "symbolic" is a little like what happened to "moot", which is so often used nowadays to mean "doesn't matter".

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