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
The value of the myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by ‘the veil of familiarity.’ The child enjoys his cold meat, otherwise dull to him, by pretending it is buffalo, just killed with his own bow and arrow. And the child is wise. The real meat comes back to him more savory for having been dipped in a story…by putting bread, gold, horse, apple, or the very roads into a myth, we do not retreat from reality: we rediscover it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Myths enrich our understanding of reality by revealing deeper meanings hidden in everyday experiences.
C. S. Lewis emphasizes that myths and stories enhance our perception of reality by providing profound significance to ordinary things we may overlook. Through imagination and storytelling, we rediscover the value and richness of our experiences, transforming the mundane into something extraordinary.
Themes
MythRealitySignificanceStorytellingImagination
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared in a discussion on the importance of literature in understanding life.
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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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