What is a symbol

The symbolism of a symbol is inherently subjective, for example if i am working on the train tracks and there is a no unauthorized personnel sign, i know that that is where i am going to be working from, but for the general public it is off limits. there is a line in batman where he says, 'I can't do that as a man, but as a symbol i am incorruptible', this got me thinking, is a symbol really incorruptible?

There is the ongoing philosophical question of how we should symbolize nuclear waste so that a future generation with no idea of what the meaning of the symbol is, still stays cautious of it, and because there is no objective symbol it is very difficult, A skull can be used to show death and danger but then the pirates used this symbol, and have so corrupted its meaning, I suppose as a general observer there would be a fear of both the pirates as well as the dangerous material the labels are slapped onto.

Coming back to the incorruptible symbol of batman, the idea is to instill fear through a symbol where, if you are in the wrong or doing something that is blatently against the rules then you should be wary, as there is someone searching for you, but this basically replaces the space of law enforcement, with the added benefit that you don't have lights or anyone to answer to when killing civillians.

What is better than a symbol?

The best possible thing to hope for that would last longer than a symbol would be a folk tale at some point, some sort of legacy, and every so often, generation over generation, a new vigilante would take on the image/symbol and reaffirm the folk tale and legacy of a vigilante. What would the cross of Jesus be at this point of time, is it a legacy, or a folk tale, it instills fear in some and brings on laughter to others, so even that symbol of forgiveness and love hasn't withstood the test of subjectivity from outside perspectives