{"id":50314,"date":"2017-06-24T00:06:17","date_gmt":"2017-06-24T08:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=50314"},"modified":"2017-09-12T14:13:12","modified_gmt":"2017-09-12T22:13:12","slug":"symbolizing-your-way-to-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/symbolizing-your-way-to-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Symbolizing Your Way to Success"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

How tiny objects can have a massive influence on the world<\/h2>\n

\u201dThe feeling of having no power over people and events is generally unbearable to us\u2014when we feel helpless we feel miserable,\u201d writes the author Robert Greene. \u201cNo one wants less power; everyone wants more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Research<\/a> shows<\/a> that feeling powerless or experiencing a lack of control decreases happiness and well-being. By influencing the world around us, we gain a sense of control. We all want to make our own meaningful<\/a> mark on the world.<\/p>\n

On this quest towards influence, something that we often underestimate is our use of symbols<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A symbol is anything that conveys meaning<\/em>. It\u2019s something that brings to mind associations beyond the definition of the symbol itself. It can trigger mental representations that are far broader than the symbol\u2019s inherent meaning. In that way, symbols are powerful<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Letters and words are symbols of course. But so are the clothes you wear, the car you drive, and the job you have. The twinkle in your eye, the smirk on your face, the timbre of your laugh. What a person says, how they say it, and to whom are all symbols. The same goes for companies\u2014everything it does forms a symphony of symbolism.<\/p>\n

We cannot always decide how other people will interpret our symbols. But what we can<\/em> control is what<\/em> symbols we use, and how<\/em> we use them. We can be deliberate about their usage, instead of spraying them around us like a sprinkler.<\/p>\n

One of history\u2019s great men can show us how to harness the power of symbols.<\/p>\n

\n

The fur cap man<\/h2>\n

In 1776, the American congress sent Benjamin Franklin to France as special commissioner. His mission was to seal an alliance with the European power, and to secure weapons and financing for the ongoing Revolutionary War.<\/p>\n

Franklin knew that this was a delicate, precarious situation. His newly-founded nation was depending on him. Without the support of the French, the United States was destined to be nothing more than a temporary uprising.<\/p>\n

Luckily, Franklin was a master of symbols (as well as a master of many other things). He knew that gaining the ear and the trust of the stingy French elite required the right image. His reputation as a simple printer, politician and scientist wasn\u2019t going to cut it. He needed to become the \u201cAmerican version of the French spirit and way of life,\u201d and to appeal \u201cto their notorious narcissism,\u201d as Robert Greene<\/a> writes.<\/p>\n

What symbols did Franklin use to express the right message to the French? The best example was the soften marten fur cap. He had picked up the headpiece several years before during a trip to Canada, and he knew it was the perfect ruse for his new foreign mission. Franklin wore the cap everywhere<\/em> he went in Paris.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cap\u00a0\u2026 served as his badge of homespun purity and New World virtue, just as his ever-present spectacles (also featured in portraits) became an emblem of wisdom,\u201d writes his biographer Walter Isaacson<\/a>. \u201cIt helped him play the part that Paris imagined for him: that of the noble frontier philosopher and simple backwoods sage.\u201d<\/p>\n

He struck the perfect balance between deep thinker and exotic influencer\u200a\u2014\u200aexactly what was needed at the time. Franklin made such an impression that the local ladies even started wearing wigs that looked like his cap. They called the new fashion trend coiffure \u00e1 la Franklin<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Franklin clearly knew what he was doing. He was deliberate<\/em> about the symbols he used. \u201cHe carefully crafted his own persona, portrayed it in public, and polished it for posterity,\u201d writes Isaacson. \u201cWherever he went he assumed the look, the outward morals, and the behavior of the culture at hand, so that he could better make his way,\u201d says Greene.<\/p>\n

In the end, his mission was a success. Franklin became beloved by the French, secured their financial support, and sealed a vital military alliance. The United States\u2019 success in the Revolutionary War, and the country\u2019s existence, owes much to Franklin\u2019s masterful use of symbols.<\/p>\n

\n

Symbolizing yourself<\/h2>\n

Franklin\u2019s fur cap shows that some objects can have disproportionately large effects on the world around us. On our journey towards influence, leveraging<\/a> symbols is one of the most powerful tools we can use.<\/p>\n

Reflect upon your own symbols, or your company\u2019s use of symbolism:<\/p>\n

What are your most important symbols?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What symbols express the wrong message?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What are you not expressing right now? What symbols could you use to get those messages across?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Try as we might, we can\u2019t control how others perceive our symbols. But what we can do is to be more deliberate<\/em> about the ones we use and how.<\/p>\n

A simple starting point is to consider your use of the quintessential symbol: words<\/em>. \u201cThe word is only a representation of the meaning; even at its best, writing almost always falls short of full meaning,\u201d says writer Stephen King<\/a>. \u201cGiven that, why in God\u2019s name would you want to make things worse by choosing a word which is only cousin to the one you really wanted to use?\u201d<\/p>\n

Where do your symbols fall short? What are the symbols you really should be using?<\/p>\n

\n

Alex Carabi<\/a> is a brand and leadership consultant and coach, helping people and organizations to rethink reality and bring meaning to what they do.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How tiny objects can have a massive influence on the world \u201dThe feeling of having no power over people and events is generally unbearable to us\u2014when we feel helpless we feel miserable,\u201d writes the author Robert Greene. \u201cNo one wants … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12355,"featured_media":50318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[5,21,6],"tags":[6055,6054,66,4629,513,6053],"yoast_head":"\nSymbolizing Your Way to Success<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A symbol is anything that conveys meaning. It\u2019s something that brings to mind associations beyond the definition of the symbol itself. 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