This is http://www.essayz.com/a9711011.htm Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words. {Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.} ========================================================== %SYMBOLS OF SIGNIFICANCE IMPORTANCE VALUE MEANING+971101 %RESPECT STATUS SELF ESTEEM LOVE AFFECTION BELONG 971101 It is common for people to focus their attention and concern upon symbols of personal: SIGNIFICANCE IMPORTANCE VALUE MEANING RESPECT STATUS ESTEEM LOVE AFFECTION BELONGING INCLUSION MEMBERSHIP OWNERSHIP SECURITY ENDURANCE ROBUSTNESS STRENGTH SUCCESS In different people's lives, different symbols may play central roles; yet the different symbols may in many senses be synonymous in their significance --- what they are regarded as pointing to. Some symbols may be regarded as pointing to actual realities of substance which are truly robust. Other symbols may be non-substantial substitutes which are put up as fronts to make an appearance of being real. Thus it is often not a simple matter to discern whether what appears to be real is a superficial front as in a movie set in Hollywood, or the real thing which merits respect. "Being in control" is often regarded as "being worthy of respect." Thus, people often seek to appear to "be in control" of situations, other people, and appearances. Such efforts at "being in control" are usually alienative and so disintegrative of persons and communities. "Ownership of great things" is also often regarded as a clear sign of "being worthy of respect." Thus there are many people who buy many things in order to appear to "be worthy of respect" because they are "being in control" of many things. Similarly for many other symbols --- it usually appears to be simpler to appear to be worthy of what the symbols are taken to point to; than to truly be worthy of what the symbols are supposed to point to. Wise people discern the difference between mere appearances and true realities. The logic of people who engage in promoting mere appearances is often transparently foolish to wise people --- yet effectively misleading to foolish people who are willingly mis- lead by the manipulation of symbols by people seeking to be in control of appearances. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================