A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
Bridge-players tell me that there must be some money on the game 'or else people won't take it seriously'. Apparently it's like that. Your bid - for God or no God, for a good God or the Cosmic Sadist, for eternal life or nonentity - will not be serious if nothing much is staked on it. And you will never discover how serious it was until the stakes are raised horribly high, until you find that you are playing not for counters or for sixpences but for every penny you have in the world.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that the value of beliefs and choices in life becomes apparent only when significant stakes are involved.
C. S. Lewis illustrates how the seriousness of our existential choices—such as belief in God or the nature of existence—is often revealed when we are faced with dire consequences or when everything we hold dear is at risk. The metaphor of bridge-playing suggests that just as players only engage fully when there’s money on the line, humans may only confront the depth of their faith or existence when the stakes are dramatically heightened. This reflection invites a deeper understanding of what we truly value and how we approach the profound questions of life.
Themes
BeliefStakesFaithExistenceSeriousness
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophy lecture about the nature of existence.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes →I enjoyed my breakfast this morning, and I think that was a good thing and do not think it was condemned by God. But I do not think myself a good man for enjoying it.
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Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
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Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
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I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
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