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
Walking and talking are two very great pleasures, but it is a mistake to combine them. Our own noise blots out the sounds and silences of the outdoor world; and talking leads almost inevitably to smoking, and then farewell to nature as far as one of our senses is concerned. The only friend to walk with is one who so exactly shares your taste for each mood of the countryside that a glance, a halt, or at most a nudge, is enough to assure us that the pleasure is shared.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the joy of appreciating nature in silence rather than chatting, which can detract from the experience.
C. S. Lewis reflects on the pleasures of walking in nature, suggesting that talking while walking is a mistake because it distracts from the beauty and tranquility of the outdoor world. He argues that true companionship in nature is found in shared silence and the subtle understanding between friends, allowing one to fully experience the sights and sounds of nature without the interference of conversation.
Themes
NatureWalkingSilenceCompanionshipPleasure
In practice
Example use cases
During a nature retreat, one might use this quote to encourage others to enjoy the surroundings quietly.
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.
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
We've got to somehow stabilize our connection to nature so that in 50 years from now, 500 years, 5,000 years from now there will still be a wild system and respect for what it takes to sustain us.
Sylvia EarleRead
We are extremely uncomfortable with the spiritual aspects of gardening, and yet most people feel it in some form or other, even if it's a sense of connection to the greater world on a beautiful day.
Monty DonRead
In nature we find not only that which is expedient, but also everything which is not so inexpedient as to endanger the existence of the species.
Konrad LorenzRead
Only as far as the masters of the world have called in nature to their aid, can they reach the height of magnificence. This is the meaning of their hanging-gardens, villas, garden-houses, islands, parks, and preserves.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRead
When we talk about the environment, about creation, my thoughts turn to the first pages of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, which states that God placed man and woman on earth to cultivate and care for it. And the question comes to my mind: What does cultivating and caring for the earth mean? Are we truly cultivating and caring for creation? Or are we exploiting and neglecting it?
Pope FrancisRead
The divine communicates to us primarily through the language of the natural world. Not to hear the natural world is not to hear the divine.
Thomas BerryRead