Cliche is just when a sign is repeated so much that it primarily calls to mind seeing it’s prior repetitions rather than whatever it initially denoted or connoted. (Nonsense non sequitur I think but you can say this is what ‘it insists upon itself means, sounds funny but I think it’s nonsense tbdesu)

E.g. the opening of Beethoven’s 5th calls to mind idk what. Clockwork orange? Check that lol

I wonder if proverbs benefit from this effect somehow?

Oh! This seems to kinda contradict with the observation that knowing a lot about something, architecture, birds, etc. makes the world richly meaningful. I remember there was a twitter thread and maybe book of interviews about this.

(Asking - what simple, practical, concrete (but not necessarily common, local, or everyday) occurrence, situation, or experience contradicts this theory). What would dredge up this kind of productive contradiction.