http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta
meta-actions? Looking at any action and reducing it to it's essential meaning. Understanding the prime motive behind it. How it was a beneficial mutation. What essential purpose it served.

Doing this and going stark raving mad. What should be relatively small events, annoying minutia(sp), to downright seemingly innocent gestures... turned into symbols. All reduced to symbols in a fight to the death. The angry artist howling in rage at windmills. Very scary.