Local file encryption

[eemaestro at gmail.com]

I have been using gpg to encrypt/decrypt files on my computer "for my
eyes only".  I have been using my public/private keypair on my keyring
to do so.   I just discovered that I can use encrypt/decrypt local
files using a symmetric cipher--i.e., you enter one secret passphrase
to encrypt and then enter the same secret passphrase to decrypt.
Since my encryption is only for files for myself, do you think using a
symmetric cipher would be a better idea, or doesn't it matter?    Or
is choice of a passphrase a bigger issue than the type of cipher --
symmetric vs. public/private keypair ?