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
This is where men, even the trustiest, fail us. Their heart is never so wholly given to any matter but that some trifle of a meal, or a drink, or a sleep, or a joke, or a girl, may come in between them and it, and then (even if you are a queen) you'll get no more good out of them until they've had their way.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Even the most loyal individuals can be distracted by simple pleasures, impacting their commitment.
C. S. Lewis highlights how even the most dependable individuals can be swayed by basic desires and distractions such as food, drink, sleep, humor, or romance. This reflection emphasizes the inherent limitations in human focus and devotion, suggesting that complete commitment is often elusive, especially when trivial needs overshadow more significant responsibilities.
Themes
CommitmentDistractionLoyaltyHuman NatureRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the challenges of maintaining focus in relationships.
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.
C. S. LewisRead
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
C. S. LewisRead
Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
C. S. LewisRead
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
Similar quotes
Basically, I was pretty ostracized in my hometown. Me and a few other guys were the town freaks- and there were many occasions when we were dodging getting beaten up ourselves.
Bruce SpringsteenRead
It's not the innocent young things that need gentle handling--it's the ones that have been frightened and hurt.
Dorothy L. SayersRead
If you limit yourself to sexual pleasure it's narcissistic. You don't connect with the other, you take what pleasure you want from them.
Alain BadiouRead
The one joy that has kept me going through life has been the fact that stories unite us. To see you as you listen to me now, as you have always listened to me, is to know this: what I can believe, you can believe. And the way we all see our story-not just as Irish people but as flesh and blood individuals and not the way people tell us to see it-that's what we own, no matter who we are and where we come from.
Frank DelaneyRead
Being concerned about other people is especially relevant in today's world. If we consider the complex inter-connected ness of our modern lives, how we depend on others and others depend on us, our outlook will change. We’ll begin to see 'others' not as somehow distant from us, but as people we are in touch with, people close to us; we will no longer feel indifferent to them.
Dalai LamaRead
There's no way I could pay you back but my plan is to show you that I understand, you are appreciated
Tupac ShakurRead