26. Why is Freemasonry so concerned with symbols?
    Freemasonry is a special system of symbols, with a particular purpose (self-improvement and service to others). Although we often are not consciously aware of them, we are surrounded by symbols; our lives are structured by symbols in almost every way. The ways we stand, walk, eat, shake hands, smile, sit, dress, and so on, are all symbolic. Human beings are a species that might be called Homo symbolicus. Freemasonry uses a particular set of symbols to express its ideas and ideals.