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
And he writhed inside at what seemed the cruelty and unfairness of the demand. He had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward usually is to do another and harder and better one.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that performing good deeds often leads to more challenging responsibilities and expectations.
C.S. Lewis is expressing the idea that the act of doing good is a catalyst for further moral obligations. The initial sense of unfairness in being asked to do good often masks the deeper truth that benevolence leads to a cycle of expectation where one good deed naturally invites more difficult challenges, thus cultivating one's character and virtues.
Themes
Good DeedsResponsibilityMoral ObligationsChallengesCharacter
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about community service, one might use this quote to highlight the challenges that come with doing good work.
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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