Erich Fromm ‘THE NATURE OF SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE Let us assume you want to tll someone the dierence betes the taste of white wine and red wine. This may seem quite simple to you. You Know the difference very well why should it not be easy fo explain i to Someone else? Yet you find the greatest dificlty putting this taste Silerence ato words. And probably yu wll el vp by saying, “Now look here, Teen expain it to you. jut drink fed wine and then white wine, and you willow what the diference.” You have no dificult in finding words to explain the mest complicated machine, and yt words seem tobe futile to describe a simple tate experience ‘Are we not conronted with the same difculty when we try toexplain A feeling experience? Let us takea mood in which you feel lo, deserted, Shere the word lok ightening though not relly danger ‘ous You want to deserbe this mood to friend, but again you find ‘yourselt groping fr words and eventually fel that nothing you have said ‘san adequate explanation of the many nuances of the mood. The following ight you havea dream. You see youre in the outskirts of city ust before dawn, the strets are empty except fora milk wagon, the houses lok poo, the suttourdings are unfamiliar, you have no means of sceustomed transportation to places familiar tn yo and wheve you fel SoU belong. When you wake up and remember the dreamt ocurs 10 ou thatthe feeling you had in that dream was exactly the fling of Tosiness and grayness you tried to describe to your fiend the day belore. IUisjat one pete, wow vsalation tok es hana second: And yet this piture isa mote vivid and precise description than you could hive given by talking about iat length. The picture you se inthe dream 3 ‘ymmbol of something you felt. ‘What isa symbol? Asymbel soften defied at “something that stands for something ee.” This definition soem rather disappointing. Ibe ‘comes more fterestng, however, i we concern ourselves with those symbole which are sensory expronions of seeing, heating, smcling, touching. standing ora something else" which isan inne experience, Seeling or thought. A symbol ofthis kid is something outside ourselves that which it symbolizes is something inside ourselves. Symbolic ln fuage i language in which we expres inner experience a it were'a Sensory experience, ait were something we were doing or somethingF that was done to win the world of things. Symbolic languages language inwhich the word outside ia symbol ofthe word nie, ymbol or our souls and our minds, Tfwe define symbol “something which stands for something es, the crucial quertion i What the specie connection betwee the symbol nd tat which i syle? Iman to thi question we can diferente between thre ind of| symbols the convention the aceidenal and the univeral symbol As wil beeome apparent presen, nly the later two kinds of symbol xpress ines experiences a if They sete Sensory experenes, and nly they ave the elements of symbolic ngage. The conventional symbol Is the best Known of the three, since we employ tn everysy language, I we se the word “table” hear the soured "table" the letters T-ASE stand fr something ee They Stand forthe ting able that we se, touch and use: Whats the eonnee tion between the word “table” and the thing "sable"? Ie thereat Inherent vlationship between them? Obvious not The thing able has soshing todo with the sound table and the on reson the word symbel izes the thing the convention of calling this parila thing by gatticlar name. We earn this connection at children by the rept fexperence of eating the word in relerenceto the ting until sting ‘sociation formed that wedent have to think to find height word "There ate sate words, however, where the asociation itt only conventional. When we ay ‘pooey,” or astance, we mae with oUF lipsa movement of spelling theaiequicly Iss anexpresonofdisgst ‘which our mosthspartcpae By thisquick expulsion oar we mate and thus express ou intention to expel something, to ge otf oor System, In this case, a i Some other, the symbol Ratan inberent exmection withthe feeling it sybulizes. But even if we arsame that ‘ign many or even all words had the orgs in some such erent nection between symbol andthe symbolied not words no onget have this meaning ers when we earns language ‘Words arent theon istration or conventional symbols although they ae the most frequent and best known ones. Pictures sso canbe conventional symbols A fag, for instance, may stand fora specie eurtsy, and yet there ino connection between the specif colors sd ‘he entry or whic they stand. Tey have been accepted es denoting ‘hat particle country, and we trast the visual impression of the ag into the concept ofthat country, agnn on conventions grounds, Some petra symbols are not entirely conventional for example, the ec. Tho iss canbe merely conventional symbol ofthe Chita chch sndin thal respect no diferent from ag Butte specifi content of the 0s tlertng to Jen death of, beyond that, to the inlerpenetation of "he materi and pra planes, pts the connection between the sym ‘Tae Narunz or Senaouc Lancuace a” bol and wht it symbolizes beyond the level of mere conventional sym bo ‘The very opposite othe conventionalsymbol isthe scien synbal, although they have one hing in common: there no intrinsic relation. ‘hip Between the symbol and that which i symbolizes. Lets seutne {hat someone has had 3 saddening experience in certain cy when he hears the name ofthat iy e wil easily connet the name vith mood of sadness, ust ashe would connect i with a mood ol Joy ad his ‘perience been a hippy one. Quite cbviuly theres aosing inthe ature ofthe ely that ether sa or joy es the individual exper ‘hoe connected with the sity that make ita symbol o's mood The sme reaction could cur in connection witha house, ate, a certain dress, certain scenery, or anything once connected witha specibe ‘mood. Wermight fd ourselves dresingthat we sein acelin. In fac there may be o particular mood connectd within he Seam wwe see isa street of even simply the mame ol te eity. We ask ourselves thy we happened think ofthat ety nour sleep and may disoves that teehad nll atlep ina mod sa othe one symbolized by hey ‘The picture inthe dear tepesents thi mend the ity “stand forthe mood once experienced init Here the connection between the sb and the expertence ymbolized is enlel cedentl In contrast tothe conventional symbol theacidental symbol cannot be shared by anyone ese except as we relat the event connected with the symbol For thi reason acldenal sybase rarely ued in nyths, far tales, of works of at written in symbole langage Beaute the) ate not communicable umes the writer adds a lengthy comment to each Symbol he uses. In dreams, however, accidental symbol ate fe ere “The univer symbol tone in which thet is an itrns eltionship between the symbol and that which trepreseats, We aveslready giver onecrampe,thatof the outkrts of they, The sensory expeene of deserted strange, poor environment has ined signa elatonship toa mood oflotness and anxiety True enough, we have never been in the outskirts ofa ety we could note that symbol, jt a the word “table” would be meaningless had we never eee abe Ts symbols meaningful only to ety dwellers and would be meaningless to people living in cultures that have no bigeties Many other universal symbol however, ae rooted ia the experience of every human being. Take ot instance, the symbol of Gre We ate acinated by certaln qualities re ina fireplace Fist of al by it alveness It changes continous it moves ll the time, and yet there iconstaney init remains the ste without being the same’ Te ives the impresion of power, of enery. of {race and lightness as if st were dancing and Had a inexhoustble Source of energy. When We use Bre a3 symbel, we describe the innera wot Frome perience charclerzd by the san ens which we olin the SMlory expereace of be the od oes, lghneay movemen! {Puce esely~sometines onc, somtimes athe of these amen! ‘cng predominant nthe ein ‘Sar some wayrand ientntersithe symbeot water—at theocean rather Hee owe fhe Binge chang ad manne, leona! movement and yet of permanence, Wedo eel Tea tavenn etiaty ane crergy But here adden ‘het felsadventais qk ccting marque dow anny Fire hasan slmeot of suprie wate an element of predictably ‘Watersymboizerthemoodet liven to but one wich shea, “dower and more comforting Ua xa. "That phenomenon he psa oan be hae ears sional sninnerepecnce tthe wore things an bea Symbol {be word a the mind nt supreng, We el Ew tat his ‘spre our minds Bld vss Yo heads when we at ro ‘She away om then hen wee sou fears beat nore quily shen we at ng andthe le bly har dierent tomo if eae Toppy rom bene ithar when westesad We expres or moc ou {neal express and ur atts and lecling by ovement ad estes pres hal ter ecg tem mt acutely om ea Eestrs then remo words Inde, the bay ssa ot $egnsy—ol the nnd Deeply and genng ek emery fens et hough, sexpresed incur wba onanism inte cae {Ee cnivenal symbole fd these conection between metal ad pins enerence Crain phys phenomena suet bythe very ‘luc cata enotonl and menal peranes, a we ees one {anal apereners nthe lnguge of pyc expen hn om), Synbsialy. The universal he only nein which the sebaianhip be tween the sym aed ha wih embed ot cone bat ‘Riau is ootedin the expeence oth afin between anemotion Or tought onthe one tan ada ery exec one ter I Gan bo lod unser been shred bp al men, neon at Sly tothe acienal yb, which by vey ate entcely peroral tao othe conventional sb, wich ested to 9 froup of people sing the me crc Theunveral symbol {eed be propre of rb. oarsmen ou wie ee Comme tn and thereto eed fo nda eo i up Lae the nguge oh anneal sya thon lnm ogee Svlpedby i nan ace aangage mihi oft ‘iret suceeded in developing nica convention ngage “Ther nonce! espa tial ners nore wpa the univ) characte of pmb Every human being who sae he ‘Tue Navone oF Srmouc Lascune a seni ete of boy and mental equipment with the ret of man ind is eapable of speaking abd uerstanding the symbolic language ‘hats bsed pen these comma properties. jst we donot ned lear tocry when weae ad orto get red inthe ace when were ag), and jst a these esctions ate nt resucted to any particle race ‘rupof peopl, symbolic language does othave tobe learned andi nat fesseted to any segment ofthe human sce. Evidence a his tobe found nthe fet hat ymblilinguage tis employed ia yb and reams i ound sv all eltures—in socaled primitive a well such highly developed cultures a Egypt and Greece. Furthermore he sym bots used in thee various cultures ae stikingly simile since they al go back othe base sensry aswell asemotional expences sired by men ofall cultures, Added evidence ito be found in recent experinentsn which people who had no Knowledge of the ten of deam interpreta tin were able, under ypaos t interret the symbalim of thet teams without ay del Alter emerging from the yp sae td being asked to lterpet the sme cea, they were purleé and Said, "Well there so meaning to them ut rome" ‘The foregeing statement needs qualfcati, however Some nba ifr ia meaning acceding tothe dferencein he teal igateance in varios cullure Fer instance, the function abd consequent the ‘meaning of the sun i dierent in rothen counties and in pital unten nother courses, were water is plenilal growth depends on sufent sunshine. Teun ate warm le giving pote ing ving power tothe Near Eas whee the hea he sm ch ‘ot povefu the suns dangerous snd evea threatening power rm Which man mst protect himself wile waters felt abe the souee fal life andthe main conition for growth. We may speak of dec of universal symbolic language, whieh are determined by thse diferences in natural conditions whieh cae certain symbols havea difetent eaning in diferent regions othe eth ‘Quite diferent im these "symbolic lect” the fact thst masy symbols have moc than ove meanings scoréance with detent ind tf experiences which ean be connected with one an the same natal phenomenon. Let us tke up the smal of re aga If we wate Se in 1 Breplace, which ss 0ute fpr and comfort expresive 4 mood of aivenes, warmth and plese Buti we se « Boling st forest om ft, conveys to san experience of thea oy tron of foe powerlessness of man agains the element oleae. Fit, then, cm be thesymbalierepreentatio of nner alvents and happiness wellaval fer, powerkssnes, oro es own desrctivetendencer The tarne Ils te of the symbol water. Water an be a most cestuctive fre hen its whipped up byastorm or when swollen iver ods it baths. ‘Theteore ite be the pole expression of horror and chao welsof comfort and peace ‘Anaterlustation of the same principle isa symbol of valle. The sally enclosed between rountsine cn soe in the feng of ee ity ad como of prtetion against al dangers rom the outside. But the protecting mountains can slo mesh ioting wall which do not petit sta getoatofthe valley and thos the vale ean become ssymbal| ‘st impritonment, The particular meaning ofthe symbol in any even plce can only Be determined from the whole contet in which the Evol appeals, and in tess ofthe predominant experiences of the eton using the symbol * "= “A good lustaton of he function ofthe universe symbl i soy, smite in symbole language, which i Known to sort everyone ‘Westen elle: the Book of jonah, Jonah hs heard God's voice tling hi to go to Nineveh and preach toe inhabitants o give up ther ei sways lit the be destroyed. Jonah eanot help heating God's voice and thats why he isa prophet. But he san unwiling prophet, who, though owing wbat he should do, wes to ran aay fom the ariand of God {owas we may ty the oie of his conscience), Hea man who does nt ‘are for ober buna beings. He sa man witha stiong sense a aw and der, but wou ove ow doe he try expres the inner prceses in Jonah? ‘We ae tld that nah weat dowa t Joppa and found a hip which shoald bring bin to Taishish. In midecean a storm Hes and, while ‘veryone ele is excited and aid, Jona goes into the ship's ely and falkintos dep sep. The sailors, believing that God must havesent the sor beease someone on te hips tobe punished, wake Jonah, who had tld therm he was ying oe fom God's command. Ha tel them to take him nd cast hi forth into the ea and that the sea would then become cal The sal (betraying a rerahabl sens of humanly by Fin eying eveything ese before flowing Mis advice) eventaly ake Jonah and cate nto te se, which immediately stops aging, Joh alowed by big sh and stays inthe 6's bal the dys and vee ight He prays God tore bin rom this prison. Cod makes the Bak rit out Jonah uato the dry land and Jonah goes to Nineveh, ull (God's command ra this saves the inhabitants ofthe ey The story told if these events ad actully happened However, it ‘ewrtten in ymboic language andall the realistic events deseribed are fymbole forthe ner experiences ofthe her. We Bed sequence of fymbale which follow one anther: going ito the ship, going ito the ‘hips belly ling alee, being inthe exe, and being i The 6h belly All thee symbols send for the same inner experience: for 4 Condition of eng protected and slated, of sale withdrawal om comm ‘munication with oer human beings They represent what could be represented nanothrsybel, the etsiatemather womb, Dilernt Tae NaTUAE OF Sync Lancunce m stheshipsbly, deep sep, theae, an fs sbely areas, thoy are expresive othe se ae xperenc ae Hein he {ween poeton ad lin. inthe mans story events happen a pace ad tines ug ito the hip be he fling sleep being town se cena, then, being evalowed by the fh Go hing apps se he che nd, though some evens ae obviously uncle the sy has fs owe ing consteney in termeo! tine nde Banc udeste tat thewrter di ot intend otal he tayo eternal events tol he Immo experience of man torn btwers Hs concen is wo ‘seape om hr nner voice, Besos ser tat his ans sens folowing one ater the other expesr te same mod in and tat sequence inte cerpresive ofa gioing meaty of hen edie histtempttocsape tom his obgaton eis elow me ones isl more and more ut inthe ely ofthe i, the pace clement har so given way tothe ipraoning clam et he ee stant no longer adit teed piay to God lobe lsd om whet ead put hime (This sa mechan whch we find so chara of eons Anat x atumed ars cere againts danger bat bent fons far Devon is rginal ele fancton and becomes + new Shmptom {vom which the person tres to be reered) Ths Jon's ‘reap im protective alain ends nthe terol beng inpsoned, nde aes i ie st he post where hea ied esr, There another irene beter the lg of he mann ad of the Intent stony Inthe mane soy he lea onset ore of ‘sult of externa event on wat fog vss aga wake {ote fom Gah le sep base he ied te town oy beard baie he suppoied fo be the eso forte som and he ‘aloes by he ish eaten aig fishin ecean Oe vent ec beesie of revi ever (The sp he sty Sent bt ot gic) Bathe tent oye ogee Thevarouevent arene acheter bythe aston withing sume ier experience What sppeas lobes cou suena cea vent stand ors conneton expences ned whch es by thei aociation in ters of ine erent This as lpia tthe Imani story” butts of erent ind "=" 851