In one sentence: Symbols are overrated, meaning is underrated. That’s my lesson, thanks for coming.
We live in an age of symbols. Logos, flags, badges, certifications, titles. Internet creates even symbols/memes, that have no meaning. 6-7, anyone? We have become so attached to these representations that we often forget what they were meant to represent in the first place. And even if we know it, we often treat symbol and meaning as two separate things. Symbols first, and meaning second. My goal, today, is to convince you, to treat meaning first, and symbols second.
I was 40 earlier this year. I still feel young, and I can’t believe how quickly those years came. During those years, a lot has happened. I moved to another country, then again, and once again. I got married, started a family, bought a house and changed a lot.
But main topic of the article today is how my values have developed and changed over time. When I was growing up, I was so excited about many things that I consider damaging now. Still, I see many parallels between my younger self and my current self.