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 myth is a lie that conveys a truth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A myth may be fictional, but it often reveals deeper truths about human nature and existence.
C. S. Lewis's quote suggests that while myths may not be factually true, they communicate important truths about life, values, and human experiences. Myths serve as a lens through which we can understand complex ideas and emotions, often resonating with universal human experiences that convey deeper meanings beyond the surface narrative.
Themes
MythTruthNarrativeHuman ExperiencePhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on the significance of ancient tales in shaping cultural values.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes βI 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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Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together ... Speech is too often ... the act of quite stifling and suspending thought, so that there is none to conceal ... Speech is of Time, silence is of Eternity ... It is idle to think that, by means of words, any real communication can ever pass from one man to another.
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Indeed, in view of its function, religion stands in greater need of a rational foundation of its ultimate principles than even the dogmas of science.
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The passing of time and all of its crimes is making me sad again. The passing of time and all of its sickening crimes is making me sad again. But don't forget the songs that made you cry and the songs that saved your life.. Yes, you're older now and you're a clever swine. But they were the only ones who ever stood by you
Steven MorrisseyRead