Symbols

23/10/2022

Few images have more powerful emotional resonance for me than that moment at which the WW2 Allies detonated explosives under a huge marble swastika at the Zeppelinfeld stadium in Nürnberg, Germany. It was the place where, just before the war, Hitler and his followers had held their infamous Nazi rallies. The rallies had proved a potent propaganda weapon, convincing Nazi supporters of their own ‘supremacy’ and intimidating their enemies into fearful submission.

The public destruction of this infamous symbol marked the impending final demise of the deranged Nazi myth and its psychopathic regime, and the end of by far one of the worst eras in human history. I can only imagine how it must have felt for those who had suffered so terribly to witness, at last, this emerging glimmer of hope. Similar evocative and symbolic moments were soon to follow with a Soviet flag over the German Reichstag and an American flag raised on Iwo Jima.

There’s something about these images-as-symbols that capture and express a wider human story and experience. They carry and convey powerful psychological, cultural and emotional meaning for those who understand and identify with what they represent. Other well-known examples of symbols include the Christian cross as a sign of God’s love and salvation through Jesus Christ or, conversely, ominous ‘Z’ insignia on Russian military vehicles during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

What symbols have a particular resonance for you – and why?

16 Comments

Steve Jacob

24/10/2022 10:48:14 am

Interesting blog, Nick. When I think of World War 2, key people stand out to me as iconic. Churchill, Hitler, Roosevelt, Stalin, Hirohito. They have become symbolic for us, representing something more than themselves as individual people.

Nick Wright

24/10/2022 10:53:58 am

Thank you, Steve. I think that's a great example of how symbols carry and convey cultural meaning that transcends the actual symbols themselves. I remember, as a school child in the UK, being taught that the second World War was essentially a war between good and evil; between Britain and Germany; between Churchill and Hitler. That meant that we grew up with Churchill as a symbol of good, and Hitler as a symbol of the ultimate evil.

Hannah Watts

24/10/2022 10:58:05 am

Hi Nick. This isn't so deep as your thinking about this. The Apple brand is a good example for me. If I see something with the Apple symbol on it, I immediately think it will be good quality and stylish. That's why I buy an iPhone, iPad and Apple Mac.

24/10/2022 11:01:25 am

Hi Hannah. I think that's a great example of how symbols can carry meaning for us (e.g. Apple = quality + style) and can influence us (e.g. our buying decisions). We associate the symbol with other things that matter to us. It becomes something like a psychological short-hand. We see the symbol, and immediately those thoughts and feelings come alive for us.

Dave Francis

24/10/2022 11:02:47 am

Hi Nick. Can you say more about 'we associate the symbol with other things that matter to us'?

24/10/2022 11:08:13 am

Hi Dave. Yes, here's another brand-related example. Some years ago, the French car manufacturer, Renault, launched a series of TV advertisements in the UK for its Clio model. The adverts didn't focus on the car itself, but on a special and heart-warming relationship and narrative between a daughter ('Nicole' - a Clio owner) and her father ('Papa'). Sales for the Clio rocketed in the UK. When buyers were interviewed about their purchasing decision, many commented that they loved the TV adverts and the feeling it (the relationship) evoked for them.

24/10/2022 11:09:59 am

Thanks Nick. That's helpful. It shows, scarily, the power of branding and advertising!

24/10/2022 11:12:52 am

Thank you, Dave. Yes, we tend to associate with particular brands because of the psychological, emotional, relational and cultural associations they carry for us, rather than simply of the qualities or attributes of a specific service or product itself.

Sonja Beresford

24/10/2022 11:14:56 am

I like to wear a cross because it reminds me of Jesus. The cross is just a symbol. What matters is Jesus.

24/10/2022 11:20:11 am

Hi Sonja. You reminded me of John 20 vs 30-31 in the Bible where John describes Jesus' actions as 'signs' that point beyond the actions (or symbols) themselves to Jesus himself -and to the amazing life-giving salvation that is available through him.

Frank Sanders

24/10/2022 11:26:33 am

Hi Nick. That's a very powerful image. What a great symbolic way to depict the end of the genocidal Nazi terror regime. Where can I find out more about the Soviet and American photos you mentioned?

24/10/2022 07:12:32 pm

Thank you, Frank. Yes, indeed. Here are a couple of Wiki links to the flag-raising photos and moments I alluded to:

*Soviet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_a_Flag_over_the_Reichstag
*American: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima

Hans Vogel

24/10/2022 05:28:24 pm

The Nazis are gone 80 years. Why you keep think about them? The world has moved on. You should move on.

24/10/2022 05:40:17 pm

Hi Hans. That's a fair challenge. Firstly, reading reports of Nazi atrocities had a profound and disturbing impact on my psyche from a young age. It revealed a dark side of humanity that left me scarred by facing what we, at our worst, are truly capable of.

Secondly, 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' (George Santayana). As I look across the world today, I see parallel conditions and dynamics to those that brought the Nazis to power. That really scares me.

Angela Moore

24/10/2022 07:13:56 pm

Hello Nick. You remind me of the EU vs UK flags in the Brexit drama. Each was a rallying symbol for its own supporters.

24/10/2022 07:18:19 pm

Hi Angela. I think that's a great example of the representational and functional power of flags as symbols. Even the sight of a flag can evoke a strong emotional and behavioural response, depending what it represents for those who see it.

Symbols

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