“Symbols are only the vehicles of communication; they must not be mistaken for the final term, the tenor, of their reference. No matter how attractive or impressive they may seem, they remain but convenient means, accommodated to the understanding. . . . Mistaking a vehicle for its tenor may lead to the spilling not only of valueless ink, but of valuable blood.”

— Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, p. 236.

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