People seem to think 'symbolic' gestures are important. Is there any evidence that they are? I suspect they actually replace meaningful gestures, satisfying a

People seem to think 'symbolic' gestures are important. Is there any evidence that they are? I suspect they actually replace meaningful gestures, satisfying a person's need to affiliate with 'right-thinking' without paying any real cost or making any real difference. Without rigorous grounding in results, their popularization could thus make the associated problems worse. Symbolic gestures may kill us all!