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
Like a good chess player, Satan is always trying to maneuver you into a position where you can save your castle only by losing your bishop.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that challenges often force us to make difficult choices, sacrificing something valuable for the greater good.
C. S. Lewis uses the metaphor of chess to illustrate how challenges in life can resemble a strategic game, where difficult decisions often arise. Just as a chess player might sacrifice a bishop to protect the king, individuals might face situations where they need to give up something important in order to safeguard their overall well-being or values. This quote encourages reflection on the complexity of choices in moral dilemmas and the sacrifices that may be necessary for greater preservation.
Themes
ChessSacrificeStrategyChoicesChallengesMorality
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about ethical dilemmas in business, one might quote Lewis to emphasize the importance of making tough choices.
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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