From the author: Notice those symbols on clients. Use knowledge for good. We mark our path along the hierarchy ladder with symbols. With flowers, medals, rings... We cherish our stars of achievement and greedily look closely at others. Our collective unconscious contains symbols of social hierarchy - we choose them by giving gifts to a select few and accepting symbolic things from others. Hierarchy in the family, in the party and at work is often reflected by external signs of distinction. Sometimes the signs are obvious, as in the military or among church officials, sometimes they are noticeable, as in the criminal environment or among the Freemasons, and sometimes the signs are difficult to detect, say, in a large computer company. Signs are applied to clothing, to the human body, and sometimes act as external attributes, such as the king’s retinue or a globe on the boss’s desk. At first glance, there is nothing in common between the signs. In one case we see stars, in another tattoos, in a third jeans with sneakers. How can you understand from the symbols what level your counterpart is at, since each microculture has different symbols? However, the collective unconscious has formed symbols of status archetypes in the hierarchy. After all, for the stability of a society, structure is necessary, and members of society must somehow record the location of the individual in the social order. We do not immediately detect archetypal signs, because they are not invented by the designer as a permanent attribute to be fixed on a form, but they arise at the moment society recognizes the next step in the hierarchy. For example, the flower archetype emerges as a transitional symbol from middle class to managerial. Flowers are used to decorate events that transfer a person from the material world to the spiritual sphere, such as a wedding, funeral, ordination. If we roughly imagine the hierarchy model, we can say that it consists of three large levels. The first level of dependence, when a person practically cannot make independent decisions and manage property, the second level of ownership, when people own material goods, and the third level of spirituality for those who indicate the path of development. Such a division is feasible both for a global society and for an individual institution. For example, a novice comes to the monastery and at first performs exclusively assigned work at a time strictly determined for him, reading prayers by the hour and on the indicated pages. If he has a desire to grow in the hierarchy, he will be able to reach the level of managing the property of the monastery, and then have a chance to become an abbot, freed from material worries. Within the three large levels, smaller divisions are usually indicated. To illustrate what archetypal symbols arise when a person moves from step to step in the hierarchy, let us imagine a person who wants to climb the social ladder practically “from the bottom.” Let him be called Adam. Here Adam, thrown out of heaven by the will of fate, finds himself naked on the bank of the river. He gets up and goes to the church with the hope of finding shelter there. He approaches the gate, but they won’t let him in naked and leave him standing on the street. The first thing they will give him is a blanket to cover his nakedness and keep him warm. The first symbol of a person on the social ladder is clothing. Diapers for a newborn who has just begun to live and a blanket for an adult at the lowest level. Without a veil, a person is not a member of society at all, he is wild. Clothing as a symbol of hierarchy has long been used in society as an indication of social status. People, climbing the social ladder, sought to emphasize the difference between a suit and rags and a blanket with various accessories. After entering society, Adam sits in front of the temple gates and asks for alms. He needs coins to survive until tomorrow. He has to buy accommodation, clothes, things not only for survival, but also for his image, if he wants to rise in the eyes of others. Currency in itself does not reflect social status. Often on the contrary, financiala handout insults a person. A beggar who wants to grow up is forced to collect small money. And the server raises his status, emphasizing his capabilities in the hierarchy. Thus, the coin becomes a subconscious symbol of the transition from the first level to interaction in society. After several months of collecting coins, our hero bought better clothes, ate a little, washed himself, put his hair in order and is already being reproached for collecting alms. Adam is offered to become a mercenary. The symbol of a mercenary and the third step in the hierarchy is a sword. Now in different societies, wage labor is symbolized by different objects - a shovel, a sickle and a hammer, but in the archetype the first object for which money was paid was a sword. Sometimes the sword of a gladiator who went into battle with the hope of becoming a free citizen, sometimes the blade of a military soldier with the goal of rising to a military leader. Hand-to-hand combat remains a step in the hierarchy in modern teenage fights. And this is not the first victory. Adam proved his abilities in battles and, most importantly, proved his stability and devotion. He did not betray his boss for more than a handful of coins, did not slide down the hierarchy into betrayal, and emphasized the justice of the war by personal example. And he receives a medal as a symbol of the next level, as a sign of trust. They hang a sign on Adam’s chest so that people who meet him will know that this is “our man,” he is already in a decent society, he has already gone through the stages of poverty, withstood adversity and refrained from betrayal. Time flies inexorably. The warrior is aging, retiring after long service, but still strives to climb the social ladder. He takes his rewards and seeks a peaceful refuge after various campaigns. And if fate favors him, then he can move from the level of a mercenary to one responsible for material wealth. Then he is entrusted with the keys - an archetypal symbol of property management. From this moment on, our hero is no longer just a subordinate. Now he meets people, determines who and what can be trusted and which door to open for whom. If, after several years of “key” work with strict performance of duties, a person has learned to resolve issues peacefully, has not stolen anything, taking advantage of trust, and has made few mistakes in the distribution of property, then he will be asked to move to the next level. He will be offered to become a manager. By position, a manager can take the place of a judge, governor, or manager. The positions are varied, but the scales become the archetypal symbol of the transition to a new status. From this moment on, Adam's responsibilities include weighing decisions, determining justice, and managing other people's time and freedom. At the stage of scales, the individual’s resistance to material wealth is tested. The decisions of an individual at this level of the hierarchical ladder should, from the point of view of society, be regulated by justice and higher values. For many people, the stage of “informed decisions” is the last step in the hierarchy for one simple reason: next come the levels of intangible goods, levels at which acquisitions cannot be physically felt. If during his service a person has shown himself to be an independent person and still strives for heights, then he will have to undergo the procedure of initiation into the “celestials.” He will be showered with flowers as a symbol of the transition to power. From this moment on, a person gives up the everyday pursuit of things and devotes his life to thinking about how to make other people happier, how to share prosperity with those who are still concerned about it. In his labors and concerns for the welfare of those below Adam in the hierarchy, he will be selfless and fair. Service to the church, fatherland or public organization is awarded with a ring. A real ring as a symbol of spirituality in the archetype is made to order, is not inherited, cannot be sold or transferred to someone. It is unique for each wearer, serves as his personal stamp and is closely associated with individuality. For example, the ring of the Pope, God's vicar on earth, is destroyed after his death. The ring tattoo in the prison hierarchy dies with the thief in law. The symbol of the highest position in the hierarchy is not.