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
For in grief nothing "stays put." One keeps on emerging from a phase, but it always recurs. Round and round. Everything repeats. Am I going in circles, or dare I hope I am on a spiral? But if a spiral, am I going up or down it? How often -- will it be for always? -- how often will the vast emptiness astonish me like a complete novelty and make me say, "I never realized my loss till this moment"? The same leg is cut off time after time.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Grief is a cyclical process where one continually confronts loss and its impact on life.
In this quote, C. S. Lewis explores the complexities and nuances of grief, suggesting that it is not a linear journey but rather a circular or spiral experience. Each encounter with loss brings a renewed realization of emptiness, prompting the individual to reflect on whether they are progressing in their healing or simply revisiting the same emotional pain, thus revealing the persistent and sometimes novel nature of grief.
Themes
GriefLossHealingCyclesEmotions
In practice
Example use cases
During a support group for those who have lost loved ones, this quote can be used to illustrate the ongoing nature of grief.
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.
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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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