--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The things I encounter that I call elves…" description: "\"The things I encounter that I call elves or gnomes, it's just a gloss. I mean, they're small, and they have the archetype. They're more like leprechaun..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ef/terence-mckenna-287_archetype_the-things-i-encounter-that-i-call-elves_1496542.png" --- # The things I encounter that I call elves or gnomes, it's… ![“The things I encounter that I call elves or gnomes, it's just a gloss. I mean, they're small, and they have the archetype. They're more like leprechauns, and this maybe raises a racial issue.” quote by Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ef/terence-mckenna-287_archetype_the-things-i-encounter-that-i-call-elves_1496542.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ef/terence-mckenna-287_archetype_the-things-i-encounter-that-i-call-elves_1496542.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ef/terence-mckenna-287_archetype_the-things-i-encounter-that-i-call-elves_1496542.png) > “The things I encounter that I call elves or gnomes, it's just a gloss. I mean, they're small, and they have the archetype. They're more like leprechauns, and this maybe raises a racial issue.” [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes seeing small, mythic beings as metaphorical glosses for archetypal patterns, hinting at cultural bias. **In simple terms:** Seeing mythic beings as symbolic archetypes. Key Takeaway Recognize and question cultural metaphors. Themes mythology culture perception bias Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical interpretive When to use this quote - personal reflection - creative writing - anthropology - media analysis Key Concepts archetype symbolism racial framing Questions to Reflect On - How do you interpret mythic symbols in modern life? - What biases might such metaphors reveal? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex cultural identities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Archetype](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/archetype/) [Elves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elves/) [Encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) [Gnomes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gnomes/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Leprechaun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leprechaun/) ## Related quotes > [Catch hold of a leprechaun and don't let go,for he will tell you the address of the gold that is unknown. Happy St. Patrick's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/catch-hold-of-a-leprechaun-and-don-t-let-go-for-he-will-tell-you-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A leprechaun did not just kill off my car in a hailstorm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bryson/a-leprechaun-did-not-just-kill-off-my-car-in-a-hailstorm/) [Kathy Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bryson/) > [“I asked her, dreamily, if we had met, and when she told me that we had not, I gave her a little finger wave,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-asked-her-dreamily-if-we-had-met-and-when-she-told-me-that-we-had/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [I thought that was the coolest thing in the world, the idea of somebody trying to solve mysteries. I would see conspiracies in everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-hirsch/i-thought-that-was-the-coolest-thing-in-the-world-the-idea-of/) [Alex Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-hirsch/) > [“Did you know ‪#‎Leprechauns‬ didn't start out in Ireland as those short little redheaded guys sporting green felt suits? #Leprechauns were once fierce warriors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-millhouse/did-you-know-leprechauns-didn-t-start-out-in-ireland-as-those-short/) Paula Millhouse > [Atheists don't hate fairies, leprechauns, or unicorns because they don't exist. It is impossible to hate something that doesn't exist. Atheists, like the painting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/atheists-don-t-hate-fairies-leprechauns-or-unicorns-because-they-don/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [Ya see I'm Irish, but I'm not a leprechaun. You wanna fight, then step up and we'll get it on!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everlast/ya-see-i-m-irish-but-i-m-not-a-leprechaun-you-wanna-fight-then-step/) [Everlast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everlast/) > [I like believing. I believe in all of these Irish myths, like leprechauns. Not the pot of gold, not the Lucky Charms leprechauns. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-believing-i-believe-in-all-of-these-irish-myths-like/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [I don't care what you Yanks say, cheese should not whiz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janette-rallison/i-don-t-care-what-you-yanks-say-cheese-should-not-whiz/) [Janette Rallison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janette-rallison/) > [When I was about 7 years old, I built a leprechaun trap out of a cardboard box, a biscuit tin and some toilet paper tubes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-hirsch/when-i-was-about-7-years-old-i-built-a-leprechaun-trap-out-of-a/) [Alex Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-hirsch/) > [All flights are fuelled with Leprechaun wee and my bullshit!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-leary/all-flights-are-fuelled-with-leprechaun-wee-and-my-bullshit/) [Michael O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-leary/) > [“I'll show you an imaginative re-creation, my fist imaginatively re-creating your fucken face for starters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-ll-show-you-an-imaginative-re-creation-my-fist-imaginatively-re/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Everything you’re telling me was just a story, and now it’s real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bryson/everything-you-re-telling-me-was-just-a-story-and-now-it-s-real/) [Kathy Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bryson/) > [Magic Sandra’s seen a leprechaun, Eddie touched a troll, Laurie danced with witches once, Charlie found some goblins gold. Donald heard a mermaid sing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/magic-sandra-s-seen-a-leprechaun-eddie-touched-a-troll-laurie-danced/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [“No one ever said you can’t have world dominance and a little romance too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bryson/no-one-ever-said-you-can-t-have-world-dominance-and-a-little-romance/) [Kathy Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bryson/) ## More by Terence McKenna > [History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now it's over . . . in a sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-experience-and-now-it-s-over-in-a/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The history of man that you don't know is what your unconscious is made out of. Just as the history of yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-history-of-man-that-you-don-t-know-is-what-your-unconscious-is/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are consciousness. We may not always be monkeys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-consciousness-we-may-not-always-be-monkeys/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What is happening here is we are living past the age, by the millions, living past the age where cultural values make any sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-is-happening-here-is-we-are-living-past-the-age-by-the-millions/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What history is, essentially, is a careening, out-of-control effort to find our way back to this state of primordial balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-history-is-essentially-is-a-careening-out-of-control-effort-to/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [And what is the primary datum? It's the felt presence of immediate experience. In other words, being here now is the primary datum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/and-what-is-the-primary-datum-it-s-the-felt-presence-of-immediate/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Our culture difinitely takes an egocentric dominator view. The fear of the psychedelic experience is quite literally the fear of losing control. Dominator types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/our-culture-difinitely-takes-an-egocentric-dominator-view-the-fear-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Every step into freedom contains within it the potential for greater bondage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/every-step-into-freedom-contains-within-it-the-potential-for-greater/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [This is the message of your life and my life - it’s that nothing lasts. Heraclitus said it: Panta Rhei. All flows, nothing lasts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/this-is-the-message-of-your-life-and-my-life-it-s-that-nothing-lasts/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I often like to think that our map of the world is wrong, that where we have centered physics, we should actually place literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-often-like-to-think-that-our-map-of-the-world-is-wrong-that-where/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Knowledge, or verbal facility, is no proof that you know what you're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/knowledge-or-verbal-facility-is-no-proof-that-you-know-what-you-re/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [No culture on earth is as heavily narcotized as the industrial West in terms of being inured to the consequences of maladaptive behavior. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/no-culture-on-earth-is-as-heavily-narcotized-as-the-industrial-west/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Man was not put on this planet to toil in the mud. Or the god who put us on this planet to toil in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/man-was-not-put-on-this-planet-to-toil-in-the-mud-or-the-god-who-put/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [If you take psychedelics and the Internet and music and put all of that together you have the basis for a new community that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/if-you-take-psychedelics-and-the-internet-and-music-and-put-all-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) [Explore all 745 Terence McKenna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## More Archetype quotes > [My characters are all kind of geek archetypes of people I've encountered at gaming and comic book conventions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/my-characters-are-all-kind-of-geek-archetypes-of-people-i-ve/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [Once my paintings are complete, the model no longer lives in the painting as themselves. I see something bigger, more symbolic - an archetype.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sherald/once-my-paintings-are-complete-the-model-no-longer-lives-in-the/) [Amy Sherald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sherald/) > [All ages before ours believed in gods in some form or other. Only an unparalleled impoverishment in symbolism could enable us to rediscover the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/all-ages-before-ours-believed-in-gods-in-some-form-or-other-only-an/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [Certain mystical philosophers have personified Destiny, and from this point of view each man's personal destiny is his archetype or "other self"--his "angel"--with whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-le-gai-eaton/certain-mystical-philosophers-have-personified-destiny-and-from-this/) [Charles le Gai Eaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-le-gai-eaton/) > [I think people have this stereotypical idea in their head of what a nerd is. People have said to me before, "You're not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hardwick/i-think-people-have-this-stereotypical-idea-in-their-head-of-what-a/) [Chris Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hardwick/) > [Unconscious of your story, you are in its grasp; but with consciousness, an alchemical process begins: The solidity of the complex dissolves and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-zweig/unconscious-of-your-story-you-are-in-its-grasp-but-with-consciousness/) [Connie Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-zweig/) > [I am the reality of all coyotes. The archetype. The epitome. You are just a reflection of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-am-the-reality-of-all-coyotes-the-archetype-the-epitome-you-are/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Once you become a celebrity, you are no longer a person, but an archetype.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennette-mccurdy/once-you-become-a-celebrity-you-are-no-longer-a-person-but-an/) [Jennette McCurdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennette-mccurdy/) > [Any legend, any creature, any symbol we ever stumble on, already exists in a vast cosmic reservoir where archetypes wait. Shapes looming outside our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/any-legend-any-creature-any-symbol-we-ever-stumble-on-already-exists/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [Man, whose organization is regarded as the highest, departs from the vertebrate archetype; and it is because the study of anatomy is usually commenced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lyell/man-whose-organization-is-regarded-as-the-highest-departs-from-the/) [Charles Lyell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lyell/) > [There are many people making a difference. I mean, Dr. King never held an office. Gandhi never held an office. There are people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-kucinich/there-are-many-people-making-a-difference-i-mean-dr-king-never-held/) [Dennis Kucinich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-kucinich/) > [Women are not in control of their bodies; nature is. 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You are an infinitely complex human being with stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/you-are-far-more-than-your-personality-more-than-your-habits-more/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) [Browse all 167 Archetype quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/archetype/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The things I encounter that I call elves or gnomes, it's just a gloss. I mean, they're small, and they have the archetype. 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