symptomatic action, n.All

A Symptomatic action (n.) like ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠fiddling, humming or playing with a ring always has a meaning, and usually an easy one to read.

A Symptomatic action (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the fiddling with a button, the tune hummed under the breath: unnecessary, purposeless-looking, and full of meaning.

A Symptomatic action (n.) is, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠in Freud's sense, a seemingly accidental slip, forgetting or misreading that betrays a constellated complex; Jung added that one should speak of symptomatic thought as well.