The Empowered Symbol

Symbols are powerful visual representations of ideas and meanings.

The Empowerment symbol signifies our motto's two words with two shapes:

empower (the power symbol) thyself (the human and omega symbols).

The International Power Symbol

The power symbol is the on switch for nearly every electronic device in the world. There are more computers with power symbols than Apple logos. We are "rebranding" the power symbol with additional meaning.

Now every time you turn on your computer, you will remember empowerment.

Alternatively, under IEEE 1621, this symbol simply means "power".^[2]

The standby symbol, frequently seen on personal computers, is a popular icon among technology enthusiasts. It features prominently in the Applegeeks webcomic, and can even be found on T-shirts [1]. It has also been used in corporate logos, such as for Gateway, Inc. (circa 2002) and Exelon.^[1]

—http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_symbol

The standby meaning is apt: We are always connected to sources of power, we merely need to wake up from our "sleep mode" and switch ourselves on.

It is also 0 and 1 which symbolizes the revolutionary power of the digital information revolution.

It also resembles the individual standing on top of the world which symbolizes the you-centric model of empowerment rather than the flawed hierarchical models that have failed us in the past.

However you look at it, power is a symbol whose time has come.

The Human Symbol

The silhouetted human head is a ubiquitous representation of human beings.

In this use, it symbolizes both "thyself" and "humanity", because empowering yourself means not only empowering your own humanity but also writ large it is empowering all of humanity. As Gandhi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Silhouetted people are used throughout Empowerment as a recurring motif to show people doing things without showing their faces. This makes it easier for an individual to identify with a character who is not already infused with a specific identity. The use of an anonymous character as a stand-in for many others evokes the idea of "the unknown soldier" memorial.

Apple makes extensive use of silhouetted people in visuals. Silhouetted heads are used for the Accounts icon in Mac OS X. Silhouetted dancers are used in iPod marketing.

Ω The Omega Symbol

The human head is also an omega symbol. Omega means last or ultimate. We aren't using it in any occult sense, it is just a coincidence that the human head looks like omega. We think it looks cool.

In a way, power omega symbolizes taking ultimate responsibility for oneself without excuse or evasion. For the empowered the buck stops here with the choice between power and apathy.

Writing Omega: The omega symbol is in most fonts. On Mac OS X, just type option-Z to write an omega symbol. On Windows and Linux, just copy-paste it or let us know how it is done.

"Omega is often used to denote the last, the end, or the ultimate limit of a set, in contrast to Alpha,the first letter of the Greek Alphabet. The New Testament book ofRevelation has God declaring himself to be the "Alpha and Omega, thebeginning and the end, the first and the last"... Has been used in many groups as a symbol to show allegiance or a title given to an important person in the group... In statistics, it is used as the symbol for the sample space, or total set of possible outcomes."

—http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega

"The alpha and omega as symbols of eternity pre-existed Christianity, the letters are commonly found in similar context in the pagan mysteries. The omega itself is an ancient symbol of the goddess Ishtar, and originally representedher head-dress (and later that of the goddess Hathor), while the alpha is derived from the ox-horn headdress ascribed to a series of male deities and divine kings."

The Universal Empowerment Symbol

The Universal Empowerment symbol combines the empowerment symbol with the world olive wreath symbol best known from the United Nations logo.

The Olive Wreath of Peace Symbol

The Greeks considered the olive tree as the most valued gift to humankind, a symbol of peace, sustenance, and life. 

The Full Empowerment Desktop's Symbolism

The empower thyself symbol is part of a bigger set of imagery that is shown in full on the Empowerment Desktop. The desktop is a composite comprised of several photographs.

The fundamental message of the empowerment image is that every person can empower themself and empower humanity. We are globally interconnected as individuals in a way that transcends cities and nations.

The silhouetted people represent us as individuals both apathetic and empowered, seeing our place in an empowered world.

The sea of suburbian lights are from Los Angeles. If ever you fly over LA at night, you will be treated to a mesmerizing sight: a seemingly biological matrix of lights flows like blood cells through arteries of light that stretch as far as the eye can see, each car a dot in the circulatory system of an organism call civilization.

The skyline is of New York City, the focal point of the western world.

The bright glow on the left is the site of the former World Trade Center, symbolizing our rising to the challenges of the post-9/11 world.

The stars are from a famous NASA image of earth at night. The glow of cities around the world is a powerful reminder of how globally interconnected and empowered we all are. It is also a reminder of how small and precious humanity is in the cosmos.

or right click and choose "Set as Desktop Picture" 

Downloadable Symbol Materials

You can download high-resolution original versions of the symbol's different versions for use in creating Empowerment graphics.