Hi @0xb100d, the poll was non-binding. As per the poll instructions:
The vote results will guide a discussion as part of the Jan 17 governance meeting, where a decision will hopefully also be made.
As per the meeting notes, ツ was the symbol that was adopted. You are welcome to independently verify this, the full chat transcript begins here.
As for your question:
Why pick the second from the poll if most everyone was ambivalent between the two?
It’s hard to say why exactly, but this was what happened at the meeting. I guess one symbol had to be picked in the end, and since the vote was non-binding, and several proposals were neck in neck, it was not obvious that the first from the poll would be the final decision.
If you feel this is wrong, you can petition for this decision to be reconsidered. A first step might be to make an argument for your case, and then ask for a point to be added to the agenda of the next governance meeting and see if you gather support for your proposal. Or you can refuse to use the symbol in protest. Or choose your own symbol that you think is the most appropriate and see if it gets adopted. This, and more, is all within your right as a member of the community.