Co-Instantiating Reality: The Interpersonal Dimension of Semiotic Selves

So far, we’ve examined how individuals instantiate meaning, differentiate their realities, and develop their semiotic selves. But how does this individuation process translate into interpersonal dynamics? If meaning is reality, and our individual instantiations of that reality are differentiated through our semiotic resources, what happens when those realities intersect?

This question brings us to the interpersonal dimension of semiotic reality. As we engage with others, we don’t just share experiences—we co-create meaning, shaping our shared and individual realities through interaction. In this post, we’ll explore how co-instantiation—the mutual projection of meaning—plays a key role in the negotiation of reality and the interpersonal construction of our semiotic selves.

Co-Instantiating Meaning: The Interplay of Individual and Collective Realities

At the heart of interpersonal communication lies the co-instantiation of meaning. This is the process by which individuals, through verbal and non-verbal interactions, instantiate shared aspects of meaning from the collective meaning potential. Importantly, this is not a one-way projection: it’s a negotiation of meaning in which each participant’s reality is adjusted and refined by the other.

When we communicate, we are not simply transmitting meaning from one individual to another. Rather, we are shaping each other’s meanings as we interact—projecting, receiving, and adapting to the semiotic realities that we each bring into the conversation. This is a dynamic process, where meaning is continuously negotiated and re-contextualised as it moves between individuals.

The Interpersonal Projection of Metaphenomena

When we communicate, we are often not just dealing with first-order phenomena (experiences as meaning), but also second-order meanings—metaphenomena, or meaning about meaning. These can be propositions, proposals, or other forms of meta-communication that structure our conversations and interactions.

For example, when one person makes a statement about a shared experience, they are projecting not only the experience itself (first-order meaning) but also the interpretation or implication of that experience (second-order meaning). Through verbal and non-verbal cues, both participants contribute to the creation of a shared understanding of not just what happened, but what it means, how it relates to other experiences, and what actions or reactions might be appropriate in response.

Negotiating Meaning in the Social Semiotic System

The co-instantiation of meaning is inherently a negotiation. As we interact with others, we are constantly adjusting our meanings and interpretations to accommodate their input. This is where the concept of projection comes in: meaning is projected across orders of reality (first-order to second-order, and vice versa) and between individuals. But projection is not a unilateral process—it’s dialogical, meaning it involves mutual influence and exchange.

In this context, negotiation is about finding common ground while maintaining the uniqueness of each participant’s semiotic identity. It is the ongoing, interactive process of re-aligning meaning in response to others’ projections and interpretations. Through negotiation, individuals contribute to and shape the interpersonal dimension of their semiotic selves.

The Semiotic Self and Interpersonal Meaning

As individuals instantiate meaning within a collective pool of meaning potential, their semiotic selves emerge in relation to others. Each person’s reality is not just an individual construct; it is co-constructed through their interactions with others. The interpersonal dimension of semiotic selves involves the constant reshaping of meaning within the shared social space.

This is why our semiotic identities are never fully fixed; they are always relational, constantly evolving through the meanings we co-create with others. In each interaction, we bring our instantiated meanings into contact with the realities of those around us, adjusting and refining our meaning potentials in response to this shared process.

In Summary

To conclude, the co-instantiation of reality is at the heart of the interpersonal dimension of our semiotic selves. It is through our interactions that we not only share meaning but also negotiate and recontextualise meaning as we shape and reshape our understanding of the world. This process allows for the interpersonal projection of both first-order and second-order meanings and contributes to the ongoing formation of semiotic identities. In the next post, we’ll explore how this relational dimension of meaning intersects with the collective social structures that underpin our shared reality.