The funerals will be different, but does the size or extent of a funeral mean anything to the man in the casket?
Both men are equally cold, both men are equally dead, and no amount of money will keep bugs from eating human flesh.
This is an example of displaced significance.
Displaced significance is one of those age-old occurrences in humanity. It transcends culture, geographical location, social status; it even transcends time since it has been occurring as long as humans have existed.
As far as I know, no one has ever examined this phenomenon in the context of a clump definition before, so I might be adding a new definition to psychology. That's just what psychology needs, right? More definitions.
Anyway, displaced significance is the change in significance of an accomplishment, incident, experience, social status of a person, or even the monetary value of an object. For simplification's sake, let's call anything that can undergo a significance shift (objectA).
Many things can cause this shift in significance. Being in a different social setting can change the significance of objectA.
For example, my high school class went on a trip throughout New England. While in New York City, we went to a small theater. Stuffed in-between two skyscrapers, it was small, quaint, and not very high-budget judging by the stage and interior.
We saw a show called "Samurai". The show consisted of one man, a mime, who spent forty-five minutes telling a story using his hands, body, an array noises, and amazing expressions.
His acting was so rich, and even though he never uttered a single word, and he played over twenty different characters all by himself, I never got confused.
I followed the whole story with ease, hung on every plot twist and marveled at his talent.
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| Link: Photo source: David Gaines |
This whole story I paint with the most descriptive colors that I possibly can. However, despite my attempt to write about it of none of you, the readers, will be able to parallel my concept of its significance. In contrast, if I run into a classmate, we will laugh and gauge this show with the same level of significance.
Another reason for displaced significance is culture differences. If Angelina Jolie visits the rain-forest in Africa, none of the natives will comprehend what a Grammy is. That achievement will have no significance to them.
Yet another example of displaced significance is how the value of money can suddenly seem greater or smaller than it really is.
If you're sitting in an overturned car that is sinking in a river, it no longer matters if you're rich or poor. If you're stranded on the side of the road because you ran out of gas, you need 25 cents to place a phone call, and you realize you only have 24....
See where I'm going here? That penny suddenly hold a lot more significance.
In conclusion, displaced significance is where the significance of something changes based on the setting, social or cultural surroundings, or some other factor.
This is one of the many things that we instantaneously detect and use to adjust our reaction to our environment.
“The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones.”
― Brandon Sanderson, The Alloy of Law
