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
I have learned now that while those who speak about one's miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Silence can be more painful than words when it comes to understanding someone's suffering.
C. S. Lewis highlights the profound impact of silence on others' emotional well-being. While verbal expressions of sympathy can sometimes cause pain, the absence of acknowledgment can lead to deeper feelings of isolation and hurt, suggesting that communication of empathy is crucial in understanding and alleviating someone's suffering.
Themes
SilenceSufferingEmpathyCommunicationUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
Sharing this quote during a mental health awareness seminar to emphasize the importance of communication.
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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Ah, I fancy it is just the same with most of what you call your emancipation. You have read yourself into a number of new ideas and opinions. You have got a sort of smattering of recent discoveries in various fields - discoveries that seem to overthrow certain principles which have hitherto been held impregnable and unassailable. But all this has only been a matter of intellect, Miss West - superficial acquisition. It has not passed into your blood.
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