Derrida

Jacques Derrida and his notion of the "difference" immediately took my mind to the relationship between signs, significations, signifiers, etc and their relationship with each other.

In questioning difference, I think that it is first important to understand what we have in hand in totality.  We must fully understand the sign, and then understand the signification and what it is representing.  Why do we think of a (for example) car in the way that we do.  We first come up with the material object, which is then attached with a meaning, purpose, and sentiment.  We must entirely understand the meanings before we attempt to determine the differences.

Whether we question objects like cars, houses, electronics, or tangible concepts like colors or numbers, or philosophical ideas such as Barthes or Banjamin's theories,  we must fully understand their meaning before taking Derrids's concepts and assertions of "difference" into account.