have people lost the sense of symbolic values.

Discussion in 'Spirituality & Philosophy' started by live4it, Apr 21, 2013.

  1. live4it

    live4it New Member

    Maybe I'm right, maybe not, but to me is seems that values and morals have changed in the general society. I feel like what is symbolic has decayed to a point of almost non existence. I hear all to often about people or groups desecrating something sacred.
    To me, the best example, and I say this because I love watching Titanic documentary's but, when it was found, the crew observed a moment of silence for respect, they laid a plack on the deck, took only pictures and did not disturb the ground. From that moment on A debate immediately began weather to retrieve artifacts or let the boat remain as it was found. One side said, it's symbolic not to desecrate the ship by salvaging parts. The other side claims that bringing part up is a good way for people to relive the tragedy. Both are compelling arguments, but I think symbolism should have won, which is obviously didn't. The people who salvaged the pieces from The Titanic even destroyed the plack left by the original finders.
    Besides being a graveyard, people thought that "its' just a boat", but they lost the principle and the symbolic reason why you don't remove a bell, or the light from a boat. These are it's heart and sole. For some this seems to be hard to understand, but there is a symbolic relationship between a ship and its bell. its heart. Give her respect and dignity by making symbolism priority people have lost this concept. True it's just a ship..A thing, but that's not what's important, what's important is that people have lost this mentality of respect.
    Think of a Military funeral, everything is done as a symbolic sign of symbolic respect, fortunately there are not many, but even military funerals are picketing by people who have absolutely no respect.
     
  2. Wanderer

    Wanderer Actio infinitus

    What you have seen I believe is not a loss of values for symbolism, as much as a more utilitarian view. This has most likely developed because of an increase mixing of cultures.

    For example, shirts with English writing on them are big in Japan, yet people like to get Japanese symbols tattooed on themselves here. People like them because they are from a different culture and that bring novelty. But someone tattooing a W on themselves in the US might be looked at as a bit dim.

    What is symbolic to some simple doesn't mean anything to others. Like your example of funerals. Irish people have wakes and have a big party for the person who died, where as other cultures are solemn. It is just a different paradigm.

    The truth is life goes on, and the past is just that. new ideas, new customs, and new ways of doing things are always the order of the day. Perhaps you may see it as irreverant, but have you ever seen American Indian artifacts on display, or a mummy in a museum. Egyptian tombs have been pillaged for a long time, so have american indian burial mounds.
     
  3. live4it

    live4it New Member

    I always wonder about all those mummies on display, I love history and learning about that stuff, but then think of it as yourself, would you like to be displayed in a museum? I suppose there are always two points of view and neither are totally wrong. One removed items for educational reasons, the other leaves in place out of respect. The third removing for gain of money, well that's just immoral and I'm pretty sure most will agree with that.
    I guess I just see the general public, and what I see and hear feels like values, morals and priorities have changed as our society changes, lately, not really for the best.
     

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