Chapter 82
The Power of Thumbs
OF THUMBS Tacitus reports, that amongst certain barbarian kings their manner was, when they would make a firm obligation, to join their right hands close to one another, and intertwist their thumbs; and when, by force of straining the blood, it appeared in the ends, they lightly pricked them with some sharp instrument, and mutually sucked them. Physicians say that the thumbs are the master fingers of the hand, and that their Latin etymology is derived from “pollere.” The Greeks called them ‘Avtixeip’, as who should say, another hand. And it seems that the Latins also sometimes take it in…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Decode Your Environment's Power Symbols
Choose a place where you spend significant time - work, school, your neighbourhood, or a social group. List 5-7 small symbols, gestures, or objects that carry social weight there. For each one, identify what message it sends and who gets to use it. Then consider which symbols you currently use and which ones you might want to adopt or reject.
Consider:
- •Look for symbols that seem trivial but create real social reactions
- •Notice who has access to certain symbols and who doesn't
- •Consider both the benefits and costs of participating in symbolic hierarchies
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you misread or ignored an important social symbol and what happened. How would you handle that situation differently now?
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