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15 Examples of Meaning

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Meaning is knowledge that is comprehended or comprehensible such that a person can understand it. This is the basis of thought and communication. The following are illustrative examples of meaning.

Language

Language is a system for representing meaning with words. This is a basis for human thought and communication. The human talent for language is a fundamental advantage over other species whereby we can capture and share knowledge.

Concepts

Language includes abstractions known as concepts that have no physical manifestation. This allows us to think in advanced ways that differ from direct physical reality. For example, concepts such as freedom or chaos or mathematics.

Communication

Communication is the process of sharing meaning. For example, a teacher who explains a concept.

Visual Information

Beyond language, humans can understand the meaning of visuals such as a graph.

Symbolism

Symbolism is when simple information such as a color has a relatively complex meaning such as mapping to an concept. For example, a color that is associated with a nation, ideology or emotion.

Empiricism

Empiricism is the belief that valid meaning comes from observation. For example, determining that bananas are food by observing animals eating them. This limits meaning to the physical world.

Rationalism

Rationalism is the believe that valid meaning can come from thinking. For example, determining that people value freedom by logically deducing this from their apparent emotions. This allows meaning to extend to practical realities and advanced theories that aren't currently physically measurable.

Shared Meaning

Shared meaning is meaning that is comprehended by multiple people as a result of shared language, communication or experience. For example, a holiday that is celebrated much the same way by millions of people.

Culture

Culture is the shared meaning that emerges with the experience of groups. For example, the culture of bowling that emerges with the shared experience of competitive bowling.

Ambiguity

Meaning that has low certainty or precision such that it is fuzzy. Handling ambiguity is an advanced human capability that machines find difficult. For example, handling the inexactness of language such as the multiple meanings of words.

Grey Areas

A grey area is meaning that is probabilistic or ambiguous. Humans can handle this with concepts. For example, a roommate who is "kinda grumpy" such that it's not completely true that they are grumpy but also not false. Disregard of grey areas is a common source of bias or fallacy. For example, a false dichotomy whereby a situation is presented as having only two options when many options exist.

Intuition

Intuition is meaning that originates with processes not understood by the thinker. In Plato's theory of forms this involves a connection to a universal source of truth. Modern science views this as a unconscious thought process that is not yet fully understood.

Opinion

Opinion is original meaning that you have composed. For example, a carpenter who gives your their professional opinion about a particular type of flooring.

Creativity

Creativity is the ability to develop new meaning that is valuable and nonobvious. For example, the ability to paint something that captures the imagination of others.

Biases

Biases are repeated patterns of thinking that produce invalid meaning. For example, invalid assumptions that cause you to repeatedly misjudge situations.
Overview: Meaning
Type
Definition
Knowledge that is comprehended or comprehensible such that a person can understand it.
Related Concepts

Cognition

This is the complete list of articles we have written about cognition.
Cognition
Decision Making
Grey Area
Imagination
Inference
Intentionality
Introspection
Intuition
Meaning
Perception
Problem Solving
Salience
Thinking
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Cognition

The common types of cognition with examples.

Cognitive Abilities

A list of common cognitive abilities with examples.

I Think Therefore I Am

The four meanings of the phrase -- I think therefore I am.

Consciousness

An overview of consciousness with examples.

Mindset Types

A list of common mindsets.

Real World

An overview of the real world with examples.

Common Sense

An overview of common sense with examples.

Philosophy

An overview of philosophy with examples.

Ghost In The Machine

The definition of ghost in the machine with examples.

Nihilism

The definition of nihilism with examples.

Free Will

An overview of free will with examples.

Structuralism

An overview of structuralism with examples.

Selling Out

An overview of selling out with examples.

Human Spirit

An overview of the human spirit with examples.

Nature vs Nurture

A list of specific examples of nature vs nurture with references.

Things

An overview of what can be considered a thing with examples and counterexamples.

Time Examples

The definition of time with examples.
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