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
A man's physical hunger does not prove that man will get any bread; he may die of starvation on a raft in the Atlantic. But surely a man's hunger does prove that he comes of a race which repairs its body by eating and inhabits a world where eatable substances exist. In the same way, though I do not believe (I wish I did) that my desire for Paradise proves that I shall enjoy it, I think it a pretty good indication that such a thing exists and that some men will.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote discusses the relationship between desire and existence, suggesting that our longing for something indicates its potential existence, even if we may not attain it ourselves.
C. S. Lewis reflects on the nature of human desire and its relationship to reality. He compares physical hunger, which does not guarantee access to food, to the spiritual longing for Paradise. While one may not believe in their ability to reach such a state, the very existence of desire implies that there is something beyond our current experience. Essentially, our aspirations and yearnings may signal the existence of higher truths or states of being, even if many do not themselves achieve them.
Themes
DesireExistenceAspirationLongingParadise
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the human experience, one might reference this quote to highlight the importance of aspirations.
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
C. S. LewisRead
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