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
Some people write heavily, some write lightly. I prefer the light approach because I believe there is a great deal of false reverence about. There is too much solemnity and intensity in dealing with sacred matters; too much speaking in holy tones.
Interpretation
What this quote means
C. S. Lewis advocates for a lighter, less intense approach to discussing serious topics, criticizing excessive solemnity.
In this quote, C. S. Lewis highlights the tendency of some individuals to treat sacred or serious matters with excessive gravity and intensity. He expresses a preference for a lighter approach, suggesting that a casual demeanor can be more authentic and accessible when engaging with profound themes. By pointing out the notion of 'false reverence,' Lewis encourages people to find balance rather than conform to overly serious attitudes.
Themes
WritingLightnessSeriousnessSacredIntensity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech promoting a new writing philosophy, one might quote Lewis to encourage a more relaxed attitude towards serious topics.
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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I mean, after all, you have to consider we're only made out of dust. That's admittedly not much to go on and we shouldn't forget that. But even considering, I mean it's sort of a bad beginning, we're not doing too bad. So I personally have faith that even in this lousy situation we're faced with we can make it. You get me?
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But suppose God is black? What if we go to Heaven and we, all our lives, have treated the Negro as an inferior, and God is there, and we look up and He is not white? What then is our response?
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If you look at human society, it is very easy, of course, to compare our warfare and territoriality with the chimpanzee. But that's only one side of what we do. We also trade, we intermarry, we allow each other to travel through our territory. There's an enormous amount of cooperation.
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