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
For in grief nothing 'stays put.' One keeps on emerging from a phase, but it always recurs. Round and round. _x000D_ Everything repeats. Am I going in circles, or dare I hope I am on a spiral?
Interpretation
What this quote means
Grief is a cyclical yet evolving experience, where one continually emerges from phases but may fall back into them.
C. S. Lewis reflects on the nature of grief, suggesting that it is not a linear journey but rather a complex, repeating cycle. Each encounter with grief allows for personal growth and transformation, symbolized by the possibility of spiraling upwards rather than simply going in circles. This perspective invites hope in the midst of sorrow, emphasizing that while one may revisit the pains of loss, there is also the potential for progress and a deeper understanding of those emotions.
Themes
GriefHopeEmergingSpiralCycle
In practice
Example use cases
A therapist might use this quote during a session to help clients understand their grief process.
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.
C. S. LewisRead
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
C. S. LewisRead
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