Badges are at the core of our lives and our consciousness. Always were. At the most basic level long ago, one keen glance was necessary to identify foe from friend. With the wrong symbol displayed - badge, cockade, emblem, device, token, escutcheon, crest, tartan, patch of colour - the man you encountered in the heat of battle cut you down. Tribal, regional, national - the right symbol was crucial. The need for instant recognition continues. Most advertising depends upon it. So does charity. One flash of a poppy and your grief, gratitude and guilt are on high alert. One sight of that panda and you know the Worldwide Fund for Nature wants your money.
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