– Ralph Waldo Emerson states that “Mysticism is the mistake of an accidental and individual symbol for a universal one.”

Question

I’m playing Civilization 6, a video game on PS4, and they give insightful quotes about the different cultural and technological advancements from different inspirational figures when you finish researching them. Normally it seems like common sense or it’s obviously related. Regardless, this one went way over my head and I’d never even heard of the apparently famous person. Please help =(

In: Culture

Answer 1

It is a criticism of mysticism.

I means seeing a lightning strike or a shooting star and thinking it is the universe’s personal message to you, rather than the happenstance shared by millions that it is.