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
The Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. It is the most temporal part of time--for the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The future is temporary and ever-changing, unlike the past which is fixed and the present that is illuminated by possibilities.
C. S. Lewis reflects on the nature of time, distinguishing between the future, present, and past. He describes the future as fleeting and uncertain, contrasting it with the past, which is immutable, and the present, which is vibrant and filled with potential. This highlights the importance of living in the moment and recognizing that our perception of time is dynamic.
Themes
FutureTimePresentPastPhilosophyChange
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of planning for the future.
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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