The Misunderstood Symbol

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Symbols can signify a much grander organization or group of people, but their meanings can change throughout time and ignorance. Certain people tend to change the meaning of such symbols to fit it into their beliefs or philosophy. Symbols change throughout time, but they always have an origin and their true meaning. Symbols can communicate without the need for verbal language, when a symbol is presented to a person, he or she automatically knows what the symbol represents depending of the popularity of it. Symbols can represents a countless amount of information when it is used in a certain manner. They can even create mental images inside a person’s head when the symbol is mentioned.
Today in the West, the swastika is seen as a symbol of evil, something that Hitler and the Nazi party used to represent their organization and anti-Semitism. This makes it difficult for other cultures and their religions to use the swastika to represent their more benevolent concepts. The swastika has been frequently embodied with other cultures and religion for thousands of years, long before the Nazi party was ever formed. People tend to associate symbols with only one factor and they never consider what they truly mean and why an organization use such symbols and where the idea for using the symbol came from.
With education and information, people can learn the true concepts of where one things originated, and what it really represents. The swastika remains a major symbol of Hinduism, representing eternity, particularity the Hindu Brahman. Another concept that the swastika represents in Hinduism is the present of goodness, as well as strength and protection, which are also used by Buddhists. The oldest use of the swastika can be found in India...

... middle of paper ...

...n many cultures, the swastika represents peace, strength, and eternity, while in western society, people view as a symbol of evil, and therefore it is shunned upon.
Fear of the unknown can make a person assume the worst about a certain concept. Symbols represent ideas much bigger than them, and the people that are in favor of that idea. The only cure for the fear of the unknown is knowledge, which includes finding the origin of a concept, idea, or symbol. The truth behind something can be found and it will always reveal the true intentions of symbolism.

Works Cited

Beyer, Catherine. “Swastika and its True Meaning” About. About, 25 August 2013. Web. 15 March 2009.
Gill, N.S. “What is the Origin of the Swastika.” About. About, Sept. 24 2013. Web. 15 March 2009.
“The Truth behind the Swastika” frenemyclothing. frenemyclothing, 10 Aug. 2012. Web. 15 March 2009.

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