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The word "mystic" is not the perfect one to convey my meaning, but it is at least the handiest one. It has been so ill-used that spouters of errant nonsense have taken shelter under its roof whilst oracles of the loftiest wisdom have not hesitated to call themselves by this name. The partisan approach to this name has caused it to become either an abusive or else an adulatory word rather than a precise description. Whereas some use it in contempt, others use it in praise! Again, how many are scared by its very sound! There are even persons who feel a shiver run down their back when they hear the word "mysticism" uttered!

-- Notebooks Category 1: Overview of the Quest > Chapter 2 : Its Choice > # 415