Published on Archlosophy on 13 July 2024.
Symbols
Over our lifetime we own hundreds and thousands of different items. Some of these items are transient, and replaceable, while some hold sentimental value- reminders of important events or personal achievements and passions. It is part of human nature to possess or embody something.
These items can be representational, having the ability to evoke certain ideas or images to their users or owners. We see this in religious symbolism and cultural artefacts across the world. Written language uses symbols in the form of letters or hieroglyphs to create understanding, and then meaning. Symbols are not static; they’re always changing, always evolving with the times, influenced by cultural shifts and societal changes. It could last a few weeks, or it could outlast an empire. Symbols have a place in our human history.
Desk
A desk is a tool that enables the creation of things. It’s something that we’d be familiar with. In schools we sit in classrooms that have desks, we enter the workforce and are given a cubicle with a desk. We work, eat, think, and nap on our desks. It’s a versatile piece of furniture with endless potential. It is no wonder then people decorate their desks with items they like. A family picture, a souvenir from the last vacation, a potted succulent to take care of, etc. A desk that becomes uniquely theirs.
I too have such items. Amongst the clutter that fills up my ever-messy desk, there are 3 items.
A globe. A skull. A white queen and a black knight chess piece.
All these items were bought from Amazon. The Globe has a wooden base and comes with a switch that can illuminate it. The Skull is a miniature realistic one made of plastic based on an anatomic skull. In the description on the listing, it says it’s useful for medical students. The white queen and black knight are from a walnut wood chess set. A good set I must add, good value, and a respectable chess set for the home. These items don’t have huge monetary or resale value, but these pieces are reminders for me. It’s the meanings associated with the objects that I carry with me. The objects are replaceable, but my values are not. And as long as they are on my desk I will continue to remind myself to embody them.
Globe
Perceived symbolism: People think of the globe as a love of travel. I want to go to this place, I want to see this, I want to see that. I want to travel the world.
Honestly, I’m perfectly fine with not travelling the whole world. Where do we get the money and time? Korean-born and German-based philosopher Byung Chul Han said that we travel everywhere but do not experience anything.
Or it is a symbol of knowledge. Schools and academic offices might have them. A teaching tool for geography class, sure.
I don’t see the Globe on my desk that way. I see it as a duality, a contradiction. It’s metaphorically huge, with so much information on it that I can’t possibly memorise them all. Conversely, it’s so small that the world could sit on my desk. The jump-ins and outs of perspectives are a reminder for me to consider the macro and micro perspectives of the world and the scale of consequences of my actions.
Skull
Perceived symbolism: Death, memento mori. Remember you must die.
It highlights the fragility of human life and the inevitability of death. My interpretation aligns with the symbolic trope used by artists and poets for thousands of years. Death is a release; only the dead have seen rest, but only the living can dream. So strive for something in this life, do my best, and let the Universe take its course.
White Queen, Black Knight
Can I just say that not all people who play chess are intelligent? In fact, there’s no correlation between intelligence and chess! Ok maybe some, but there are smart people who don’t play chess, and idiots who play chess- like me. 🙂‍↕️ A common association with chess is that the practitioner is a strategist, crafty, scheming. They calculate the consequences of every move. Each move has a reason, a rationale. A logical person.
While I neither agree nor disagree with that perception, the way I look at individual pieces is slightly different from the generalisation of chess.
In chess White starts first, so I view the White Queen as the most powerful piece on the board. Moving through the rank and file effortlessly, cutting down the pieces that stand in her way. The White Queen is my reminder that no matter how tough the obstacles confronting my journey will be, it doesn’t diminish my value as the most powerful piece on that board. In fact, we should all see ourselves as this piece in life on our respective boards.
The Black Knight is more of a direct representation of a dark horse. No one bets on the dark horse till it upsets the race and wins. If the White Queen represents strength and power, the Black Knight is obscurity and surprise.
So there we have it. The 3 items that stand on my desk offer me a reminder of my values. Of course, I have a few more that can’t be expressed by symbols on a desk. Do you have any items on your desk that serve as value reminders? How would they shape your thinking or values?
Be kind to yourself,
Kai
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