Symbols !!!???

Why are symbols so important?  Why does burning a book on one side of the world enrage millions on the other? Folks who are so far apart they would never even know of each other's existence without modern travel and instant communication. Communication, sadly, often with people who may think the Earth is the Center of the Universe.  Necessary for human survival? (one of my favorite indexes?  the Palmetto Test -- what difference does it make to a palmetto, a tenacious, gnarly and nurturing plant living in Florida and elsewhere, that is not bothered by much of anything). Does this tension help us continue to exist as a species (the ultimate test -- Bioevolution -- the science of observing which species are the most adaptable, thus most apt to continue)...