Fire

Fire is such a symbolic item that it is always a bad idea to run around with it.

Fire spreads. Ever since Prometheus brought it to human, fire was taken as the symbol of glory and hope – that’s why it is risky. When someone is holding a torch, you can’t really tell it comes from Olympus or some mimic of the stature outside New York.

And it cannot be done away that easily. As the old Chinese sayings: Be there a stone, there is always a source of fire. (石在,火種不絕.)

PS. Ancient Chinese had the wisdom and put fire under the symbol Li (離, see below), with a dash line inside two solid ones. Yes, many of our pursuit and enthusiasm have hot and vigorous coating, albeit the content is nothing but ash.