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S

emiotics is as much about what something isn’t as what it is. When we say that someone is tall, we’re also saying he is not short. If someone is late, then she is not on time. Masculine is not feminine. Soft is not hard. Selfish is not considerate.

In semiotics, these are paradoxical opposites. Conceptually, it involves taking two opposing definitions and placing them on opposite ends of a measured space – whether in our minds or on paper as we’ll do shortly. By assigning things to various points along the scale, we develop a better understanding or categorization of their true nature. Here are some examples:

Next, let’s categorize something using these paradoxical opposites. Think of yourself at work or in your last job. Setting aside that your moods and actions can change not only daily but each minute, where would you place yourself overall on the scale just shown? Are you closer to the left in some cases or closer to the right? Are you surprised at all by your categorizations?

Now do the same exercise for your boss or your most recent boss. How different are his or her placements along the scale from yours? Do they reveal what you may think of your boss or what that person may think of you? Do they reveal the cause of any possible friction between you? Or do they explain why you may be in sync?

Did you notice that you didn’t need additional training or a research background to make the assessments? That’s because you instinctively knew where you and your boss stood in each of the areas. In this first exercise, the only opinion that matters is yours. You’re making the call, and whatever you believe to be the case, is the case in your mind.

That said, if your boss were asked to rate you on the same scale, he or she may come to slightly – or perhaps very – different conclusions. And the justification for making the call that way would be based on his or her personal assessment. Within those differences, however, are opportunities for discussion, greater understanding and possible change – if warranted. And that may include changing ourselves, changing our boss’ perception of us or changing jobs.

The point of this simple exercise is to show that you already understand the differences between concepts, that you’re able to quickly and easily categorize people or situations and that you’re well on your path to understanding some of the basics of semiotics.

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