Democracy: The Power and Ambiguity of Symbols
Democracy is a symbol of freedom, human rights, and the empowerment of people, in stark contrast to the oppression, tyranny, and powerlessness of people living under authoritarian regimes.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where so-called democratic countries have undermined its values and retained little more than the label of democracy, while countries that are still democratic are denied that label by their own citizens. Today, there are people in democratic countries who argue that the political system they live in deprives them of their freedom and rights and makes them feel powerless. They feel that it is up to them to save democracy.
This seems ridiculous. We all know what democracy is. It has a definition.
But that is the power of symbols. They accumulate meaning far beyond their original definition. Let’s look at what a symbol actually is.
Symbols
A symbol is a representation of something else, imbued with meaning.
This sentence does not do justice to their complexity, but we have to start somewhere. If we look at how symbols do this, things get interesting. Let’s build from the ground up.
Meaning is Learned
Words have no inherent meaning.
Words are made up of a combination of sounds, the shape of which means something to us because at some point we agreed on what it should mean in order to communicate more effectively.
If we didn’t have words and wanted to describe a chair, we’d have to point to it or draw it. If you have ever visited a place where no one speaks your language and you speak no one else’s, you know that this can work, but it is cumbersome. Once we have a word for something, communication becomes faster, easier and more accurate.
That is, unless the understanding of a word differs between the one who speaks it and the one who hears it.
Meaning is Ambiguous
Some words seem simple. Like “chair”. We all know what a chair is, don’t we?
Before you read on, close your eyes and use words to describe a chair to yourself. Did you do it? Then let’s continue.
A quick Google search turns up this: “a separate seat for one person, typically with a back and four legs”. Was your description similar? More detailed? Less? Or did you think of a person in charge of a meeting or an organization instead of furniture because you just organized a conference?
Even simple words can mean different things to different people in different contexts. That is why, when we learn meaning (like learning a new language), we need to encounter the same word in different situations to fully understand it. And even our mother tongue can surprise us with its store of rarely used words.
While words like “chair” are unlikely to cause conflict, less commonly used words may have a different meaning to another person because they have encountered them in different contexts. And the more abstract words become, the more likely they are to cause conflict if they are understood in different ways. As if that weren’t bad enough, things become very conflictual as soon as there is a public debate about the issue or it becomes emotionally charged.
“Feminism” covers a whole range of meanings to different people and in different contexts, including women fighting for their rights, women trying to replace men, and women fighting for equality, i.e. the rights of both women and men in their respective areas of underrepresentation. When you talk about feminism, you’d better explain what you mean.
Meaning Changes
The meaning of words can change over time.
Because meaning is something we learn and not something inherent in words, the meaning of words can change as people begin to use them in different contexts. Neutral words can become offensive or vice versa, positive words can become negative or negative words can become positive. Words can become more specific or more universal. Words can be taken out of context and used to define something completely different. I should stop.
The fact is, language changes with people, just as what and how we communicate changes.
Symbols Evolve
Symbols are things or words that take on meaning beyond their original definition or pure functionality. They are ambiguous not just because language is ambiguous. They are ambiguous by design.
For example, a throne is technically a chair, but is rarely seen as such. Instead, a throne symbolises wealth and power. What does the person you are talking to hear when you talk about a throne? The object, wealth, power? The things that come with wealth and power? Their own association with monarchy? Something you wouldn’t think of? If you don’t choose your words carefully, you’ll never know.
The moment something becomes a symbol by taking on an abstract meaning, that meaning is ready to evolve. A long time ago a throne was just a chair. Somewhere along the way it became something more. A symbol of oppression, a symbol of prosperity, a symbol of monarchy as a political system (whatever that means to people) … the possibilities are near endless.
By accumulating meaning through abstract values or ideas, symbols unite people who share those or related values or ideas. These people extend the meaning by adding their own ideas. Suddenly many people have something to connect with - the symbol - which in turn connects them with each other. In a world of uncertainty, we all need something to hold on to and believe in.
The problem with symbols is that we may feel we’re talking about the same thing, but when it comes to the details, we’re often not. How can we? If simple words are ambiguous and subject to change, then an abstract representation, which by virtue of its organic evolution can hardly be put into words, is living, breathing ambiguity. And while that ambiguity allows us to fit our own story to it, that story need not fit anyone else’s.
And who is to say who is right?
Democracy
Democracy is, at its core, a system of government. It became a symbol of freedom, rights, and empowerment of the people because it was associated with these values. This is not to say that democratic states necessarily embody these values. Most, if not all of them have vowed to be better after a period of disaster, and none of them is flawless today. It simply means that democracy has become a symbol of vision. A shared vision of a better future.
But what that means to different people can be very different. And while a symbol allows for ambiguity, it does not mean that the people who believe in it do.
As symbols evolve and change, they can divide as easily as they can unite. This is when we must work to build bridges. In Germany, this should be done quite literally.
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash.