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
It is not your business to succeed, but to do right. When you have done so the rest lies with god.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Focus on doing the right thing rather than solely on achieving success.
This quote by C. S. Lewis emphasizes the importance of moral integrity over personal ambition. It suggests that one should prioritize ethical actions and decisions, trusting that the outcome will ultimately be managed by a higher power, thereby relieving oneself of the burden of worrying only about success.
Themes
IntegrityEthicsSuccessTrustFaith
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech on leadership, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of ethical leadership.
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
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Why should we think upon things that are lovely? Because thinking determines life. It is a common habit to blame life upon the environment. Environment modifies life but does not govern life. The soul is stronger than its surroundings.
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I had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air -- or as free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be. Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained.
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